Pakistan, Niger: Two Nations in dire need of aid

Even though the catastrophe facing these countries differ in nature; one clearly environmental, which of course has bred some many others. The other is somehow environmental that bred massive hunger and starvation; they are both devastating and need the urgent comprehensive attention possible. In Pakistan, floodwaters continue to flow through the country, which have destroyed […]

Even though the catastrophe facing these countries differ in nature; one clearly environmental, which of course has bred some many others. The other is somehow environmental that bred massive hunger and starvation; they are both devastating and need the urgent comprehensive attention possible.

In Pakistan, floodwaters continue to flow through the country, which have destroyed buildings and killed more than 1,500 people. The monsoonal flooding is being called the worst in modern Pakistan history, mainly because the high water hit in the country’s agricultural heartland, destroying crops and leaving the country vulnerable to food shortages

While the Pakistani government has put the death toll so far at around 800, officials in the worst affected area—Khybe Pakhtunkhwa Province, previously known as the North-West Frontier Province—estimate a far higher figure of more than 1,500.

Adnan Khan, a disaster management official said, “rescue workers have been unable to access certain areas, and the final death figures will be much higher.” Moreover, the danger is far from over. Pakistan’s meteorological department has warned of possible further torrential monsoon rains that would only compound the crisis.

The distribution of relief is severely constrained by damaged infrastructure, and the widespread contamination of water supplies has the potential to create major health problems.” Oxfam’s humanitarian director, Jane Cocking, warned: “There is a desperate need for temporary shelter, clean drinking water and toilets to avert a public health catastrophe.”

The flooding also threatens to compound the longer-term economic and social crisis facing millions of Pakistanis. Not only have thousands of homes been destroyed, but crops, livestock and infrastructure have been badly damaged or wiped out.

The need for an early flood warning system was recognized soon after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, according to South Asian Floods website, but the country’s forecasting system is still inadequate. The lack of planning for infrastructure to control flooding and provide prompt and comprehensive rescue and relief services has been exposed by the disaster.Cases of cholera and diarrhea have been reported among those left homeless by the floods, which killed an estimated 1,100 people and have left thousands without access to shelter or clean water.

In 1973, more than three million homes were destroyed and 160 people lost their lives. The 1976 floods demolished over 10 million houses and caused 425 deaths. Flooding in 1988 resulted in property damage amounting to 17 billion rupees ($US200 million) and in 1992, 50 billion rupees. The official death toll in the 2001 floods was 210 and in 2003 in the provinces of Punjab and Khybe Pakhtunkhwa it reached 230.

However, in neibouring Niger Republic, Food crises have been on the rise. Much is being done to alleviate this situation, especially with food aid. Though necessary for immediate relief, this is not a long lasting solution for the country on the whole or specific regions such as northern Niger. While the aid programme is on-going, more is still needed in order to alleviate the situation in a more comprehensive manner. It is also essential that this landlocked country looks for alternative methods of subsistence in order to improve on the current situation of about two million people on the verge of hunger.

 Last year the rains failed with predictable results, thus, one in five children aged 0-3 is now acutely malnourished. Oxfam and Save the Children have warned for months that the country is teetering on the brink of a repeat of the 2005 famine – and the UN’s humanitarian aid machinery is slowly cranking into gear. Yet even now, with around 7 million facing acute food shortages, Niger’s crisis appeal is underfunded.

Delay has costs vulnerable households to sell off assets and pull children out of school. Tens of thousands have had their brains irreversibly damaged by malnutrition. The response to the Niger crisis gives a new meaning to the phrase “too little, too late”, which has technically made the humanitarian assistance more difficult as well as live for the people.

Niger, a developing country with an estimated population of 15,306,252 is one of the ten poorest countries in the world which undergoes phases of severe food crisis. Approximately 63% of its total population lives on below $1 a day, and 90% of its population depend on subsistent agriculture. Adult literacy rate is as low as 15% with a life expectancy which spans up to 46 years. Men, women and children all suffer the plight of food crisis in one way or the other.

Niger is a heavily indebted poor country with about 63 percent of the population being poor. The extremely poor living in rural areas constitutes 36 percent of the population, while the extreme poor living in urban areas are estimated at 31 percent of the total population. Farmers account for 88 percent of the rural population, and 68 percent of them are poor, and surveys have shown that female headed households are the poorest.

The country is ranked by the United Nations Human development report of 2005/2009 as the last out of 182 countries. This high poverty level limits the ability of inhabitants of Niger, especially farmers, to gain access to, afford, and produce sustainable, quality food. Agriculture here is mainly subsistent and is very seasonal increasing their dependence on climatic conditions

Niger has suffered and will continue to suffer from food security and its varying consequences if drastic measures are not taken by the national government likewise the international community. With the advent of climate change, inhabitants of Niger are left to develop coping mechanisms on their own as little efforts are being made by the government to bring the country out of this situation.