APPEAL FOR PAKISTAN FLOOD RELIEF
Editors, INSAF Bulletin
The magnitude of the disaster which has befallen the hapless people of Pakistan requires all people of South Asia to do what they can to minimize the effect of this tragedy. Come together and donate generously!
No words can do justice to the heart-rending images from NWFP, Punjab, and now Sindh that document the disaster which have befallen the hapless people of Pakistan. After being subject to suicide bombings by crazed Islamists, drone attacks by stealth U.S. aircraft and the manifest shortcomings of their government, it seems that Nature too has decided to wreak vengeance by simply drowning them in unprecedented floods. While much of the flood is due to much higher than average monsoon rainfall, which, in turn, could be one of the early warning signs of climate change, the massive environmental degradation caused by years of excessive logging and failure to de-silt rivers and canals have undoubtedly contributed to this calamity. This disaster has led so far to well over a thousand deaths, rendered millions homeless, and destroyed much of the agricultural economy and infrastructure of the country. It is widely acknowledged that the effects of this disaster will be long-lasting and profound affecting many of the basic conditions of life in Pakistan. Whether these events bring people together and unite them in a common purpose or deepen the fissures in the existing society, as some commentators fear, remains to be seen.
It is also sad to see that not even a crisis of this magnitude can impact the negative tenor of the relations between India and Pakistan. India, for a country of its size and economy, offered the relatively measly sum of five million dollars for flood relief; what was just as, if not even more, absurd was that the Pakistan government took several days to decide whether to “accept” this offer; eventually it did but in a very backhanded way and only indirectly, preferring to “channel” the Indian contribution through the UN. The whole episode, in light of the magnitude of the crisis, casts a very poor light on the petty natures and motivations of those at the helm of affairs in the two countries.
INSAF Bulletin’s very reason for existence is that South Asia is tied together not only by geography but also united by innumerable cultural and social factors. We are launching an appeal to our readers, who originate from all of South Asia, to donate generously to flood relief in Pakistan as an expression of that unity. We acknowledge that our contribution will be like the proverbial ‘drop’ in a very large bucket. However, doing so is act of affirmation of our identity and we hope that our readers will respond to our appeal.
Make a donation through your own contacts if you prefer to do so.
U.S. residents who wish to obtain a tax deduction can send contributions to: SINGH Foundation, c/o Ramakrishnan, 50 W. 97th St., Apt. 15T, New York, NY 10025 and write Pakistan Flood Relief in the memo line. These contributions will be sent without any deduction to Aitemaad Pakistan (contact: aitemaad@gmail.com), an NGO based in Karachi and active in flood relief.
Canadian contributors may donate to Alternatives (mark Pakistan Flood) at Alternatives, 3720 Park Ave, Suite 300, Montreal, QC H2X 2J1 (514-982 6606#2247). Pl write your postal address for Tax deductible receipts.
Contributions can also be sent directly to the venerable Edhi Foundation (www.edhifoundation.com) that has been at the forefront of providing assistance to the needy in Pakistan for over half a century.