Where is the help?

Child sleeping in a camp in the city of Hyderabad, Pakistan (APP)

So where is the help when we need it? What are the reasons behind tight-fisted response towards Pakistan's flood? Should we blame bad reputation of those in power? Or years of media abuse of the country and it's connections with terrorism? Maybe we can blame Pakistan's very own Mr 10%'s infamous fun visits abroad? Or never tiring blame game of their politicians? Or just blame recession and get over it?

Let's take a moment here and do a comparison between funds raised by Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) for recent natural disasters. Within hours, Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) raised £100m for 2004 Tsunami and by February 2005, it closed its appeal to a staggering £300m. They raised £101m for Haiti earthquake. But their Pakistan floods appeal has just reached £10m.

An estimated 20 million people (that's one in ten Pakistanis) have been affected by the disaster, this equals the population of Australia; and these floods have already destroyed one fifth of the Pakistan's territory, that is as vast as Italy. Now, aid officials are warning a second wave of deaths by waterborne diseases and if something's isn't done soon then a disease pandemic is just around the corner.

According to UN more people have suffered in Pakistan than Haiti earthquake, Indian Ocean tsuami and 2004 Pakistan earthquake *put together* and all those numbers above (except donations except ones with sterling) leave no doubt in my mind that this is clearly the biggest natural disaster in the recent history.

Who and what should we blame? Should we even waste our time in that or start working towards raising money for those who have lost their everything; before they lose hope? 

Too many questions but there is only one answer...

To help: Text 'GIVE' to 70707 to donate £5 to the DEC to assist with the Pakistan Flood Disaster.  Alternatively visit Hope for Help Foundation,  Islamic Relief or Helping Hand


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