Editorial: Expdeidate Rescue Operations

Balochistan is in the grip of an ecological disaster since July 21 rains that devastated Barkhan and Kohlu sweeping away about 12 people in first few hours of rains. Since then, the crisis is intensifying, needing a bigger government role in rescue operation. Reports suggested that many people are still marooned and could not be rescued following the canal breaches in surroundings of Jaffarabad. In order to give a boost to rescue and relief operations, soldiers of Pakistan Army are busy in providing assistance to the people.

Besides this, the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps are also sharing their ration and food with the flood affected people which should be commended by all right minded people. Yet another good work reported was activating the Sibi Airport which remained dormant for over 20 years and not used in handling of relief goods and food for the flood affected. Earlier, the Quetta Airport was the only base and it took time to take the relief goods and food to the people in Jaffarabad and Dera Murad Jamali. The C-130 plane had landed at Sibi Airport and relief consignment had been handled by the PAF personnel. Now the officials will take a few hours to rush food and other supplies to the people from Sibi Airport.

There is a need that more troops and FC personnel should be deployed in handling the crisis as more than 1.3 million people are dislodged from their homes since floods lashed Jaffarabad and submerged it completely. We hope that the Commander of the Southern Command will look into the suggestion by inducting more forces in rescue and relief operation saving more and more lives. The Government, both Federal and Provincial, should make more resources available to establish more camps and provide food and shelter for the uprooted people, mainly women and children, old and weak.

There are reports that more uprooted people are reaching places like Khuzdar, Wadh, Kalat, Mastung, Naushki and Quetta. A larger number of uprooted people managed to reach Quetta where the local administration is trying to look after them well. The Administration had set up relief camps where the uprooted people are located. The officials are taking people from other localities to the camps for their better care. The Government should establish camps in other towns where sizable number of flood affected are under open skies. The philanthropists should also come forward and help the flood affected people saving precious human lives in this unprecedented ecological disaster.

Finally, the International humanitarian organizations, including those working under the United Nations System, should rush direct food aid and provide relief goods to the uprooted people in Balochistan. The UN agencies should not waste time by routing the aid through Islamabad and hand over it to the officials handling the relief operations. It is more pertinent to the aid provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to rush direct aid to the uprooted people in Balochistan instead of diverting it through Islamabad or through the Federal Government. The situation is more precarious as hundreds of thousands of people could not get food for the past many days and weeks. It is more important to rush food aid direct to the people through the officials manning the camps or receiving aid at the Sibi Airport.

Finally, the Government should provide resources to the officials handling camps and flood affected in camps as both the Federal and Provincial PSDP had become irrelevant in the present magnitude of the ecological disaster and such a large number of people suffering. According to safe estimate, more than 20 million people are seriously affected in the flood. It will be a miracle if the Government is able to implement a part of the PSDP during the current fiscal year. Thus the MPA will not be able to use their MPAs fund. It is more prudent to divert the MPAs fund for relief and rehabilitation of flood affected areas. It should be considered as contribution or donation from the MPAs of Balochistan in providing relief to the flood affected.