Pakistan

Blog Post:  Posted August 24, 2010, 5:20 am by Pete O'Farrell

Homemade signs and help

Country: Pakistan

Topics: Water/Sanitation, Health, Emergencies, Displacement

For the most part, it looked like all the other tents in this growing camp for internally-displaced persons (IDPs), currently populated by more than 3,000 people who've been driven from their homes by Pakistan's floods. The non-descript white canvas triangular tent was no more than eight feet by 10 feet, with some basic red carpets on the bottom keeping the dust at bay. The only thing that separated this tent from the hundreds of others was a small homemade sign saying, “Mobile Medical Unit.”

In the hundred-plus degree heat, a Mercy Corps team has set up mobile medical tents for women inside this burgeoning camp in Sindh Province. Our team works for days before moving to another camp to provide medical aid. The doctors — working with donated medicines — treat all different types of illnesses such as rashes, water-borne diseases, eye infections from the dust and symptoms of dehydration from the intense heat. Twenty-five women sat in the waiting room, which was no more than a tent with some basic floor mats to keep people out of the intense sunlight. Before the day is over, more than 150 women will be treated.

On the other side of the tent, another Mercy Corps colleague was leading 50 women in a two-hour hygiene lesson. These classes teach women basic hygiene for their new living conditions where the dust, heat, shared water sources, latrines and new surroundings present challenges very different from their home villages. At the conclusion of the course, the women received a hygiene kit with soap, bandages, cloths and other essentials.

The floods in Pakistan are the worst in well over 100 years. The UN says that more than 20 million people have been affected and at least four million are homeless and displaced. Thousands of camps just like these have been set up in cities and the countryside across Pakistan.

Mercy Corps has worked in Pakistan since 1986 and responded to previous disasters such as the 2005 earthquake and 2009 Swat Valley displacement crisis. The experience gained from those previous crises has allowed our teams to efficiently and effectively respond to the immediate needs of the people.

I arrived in Pakistan just two days ago from Portland to lend any and all assistance to our teams on the ground, and I am in awe of all they have done in such a short time.

Blog Post:  Posted August 20, 2010, 9:42 am by Shagufta Jeelani

Delivering aid to flooded-out families

Country: Pakistan

Topics: Emergencies, Displacement

This was written by my colleague Raheel Ayaz, a monitoring and evaluation officer here in Pakistan:

Sixteen-year-old Rasalat Khan is a member of one of the 161 families who received emergency food and tool kits from Mercy Corps on Wednesday.

Rasalat's father, Yaqoob, has an illness that prevents him from working. So the family completely depends on Rasalat's income as a day laborer.

He tells us that water ransacked his two-room house, triggering the collapse of three side walls and washing away all items in the household -- including furniture, crockery and tools.

Across the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan, families are dealing with similar levels of destruction. Houses are filled with mud, water is polluted, bridges are washed out and there is no electricity available. People are struggling to survive.

Since Rasalat's neighbors are in the same situation as his family, he could not borrow tools like a shovel, a pickaxe or buckets to clean debris.

"Today I am very happy," he said, "as I have some food to feed my family for few days and also got some tools and equipment."

Each food kit contains rice, lentils, cooking oil and powdered milk. Each tool kit contains a wheelbarrow, shovel, hammer and other implements.

"I am not only able to clean debris of my house but can also help my neighbors who are facing same problem," said Rasalat. "Inshallah, soon I will rebuild walls of my house and we will have shelter again."

Blog Post:  Posted August 10, 2010, 5:00 pm by Manasi Sharma

Worse than the tsunami?

Country: Pakistan

You've probably heard that UN officials have said the scale of the current disaster in Pakistan may exceed that of this year's earthquake in Haiti, the 2004 tsunami and the 2005 Pakistan earthquake — combined. Though the death toll does not approach those terrible events, the long term effects in terms of lost homes, destroyed crops, and farmland that has washed away.

Survivors need clean water, food and medical care to prevent waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera. The pictures we've been receiving from our response team there only hint at the widespread needs:

Mercy Corps has deployed seven trucks and staff to deliver safe drinking water to the Mingora/Saidu town. As a result, nearly 10,000 people are getting safe drinking water in the town on daily basis. Water filling stations from where water tankers are being filled has been disinfected and has been improved to ensure delivering of safe water to survivors.

Mercy Corps is also helping direct resources of other response agencies. We're organizing the distribution of water-purification tablets to far-flung villages, and buying supplies to build new water points and repair handpumps.

We're also procuring construction tools to go into emergency kits to 250 families. Flooding has washed away house, agriculture land, village and valley roads and other infrastructure. The tool kits will include wheelbarrows, pickaxes, shovels and jerry cans.

Our team is working hard to respond to survivors' immediate needs. We know these communities well, and we're committed to helping them rebuild after the waters recede.

Blog Post:  Posted July 14, 2010, 4:26 pm by Neal Keny-Guyer

Safe return of our Pakistan staff

Country: Pakistan

We are very happy and relieved to inform you that three members of our Pakistan team have been released after nearly five months in captivity. All three are unharmed and are being reunited with their families in Pakistan.

The three team members are Dr. Syed Asif Abbas, age 50, Iftikhar Shafiq, age 34, and Beeburg Suleman, age 27. They were abducted on February 18, 2010 when their vehicle was intercepted en route to our office in Quetta. Our colleagues were working with local district health officials in Balochistan to implement health programs.

The past five months have been an extremely difficult time for our Pakistan and global teams. Emotions are surely mixed. While we celebrate the safe return of our three colleagues, we are still mourning the loss of our fourth abducted team member, Habibullah, who was killed by his captors earlier last month.

We send warmest thoughts and wishes to our released colleagues, and their families and friends in Pakistan. We will stand by them in the coming days, providing comprehensive support to ensure that they are physically and emotionally healthy, as well as financially stable.

We know that many of you are wondering about the future of our programs in Pakistan. At this time, our Pakistan programs are still suspended and undergoing review. While we remain deeply committed to the people of Pakistan, the safety of our team remains our number one priority. We need to ensure that, if our work continues, it can be done effectively and without putting our team at risk.

Blog Post:  Posted June 15, 2010, 11:23 am by Neal Keny-Guyer

Mourning our tragic loss in Pakistan

Country: Pakistan

We are deeply saddened by information we've received indicating the killing of one of our four abducted team members in Pakistan by his captors. Our colleague Habibullah was killed earlier this month after being abducted nearly four months ago. His family was informed of his death on Sunday.

Habibullah, age 52, was a driver for Mercy Corps. He was also a dedicated husband and father of nine children. Habibullah and three colleagues were abducted on February 18 when their vehicle was intercepted en route to our Quetta office. Our abducted colleagues are all Pakistani nationals who were working to improve the quality of child and maternal health in Balochistan.

It is shocking and tragic that Habibullah — someone dedicated to improving the lives of Pakistanis — should be the target of such senseless violence. We deeply mourn his loss.

Unfortunately, this incident has caused us to suspend our operations in Pakistan. This is obviously a difficult action to take. The humanitarian imperative in Pakistan remains as pressing as ever, but our number one priority must be to ensure the security of our team.

We hope that you will join us in keeping Habibullah’s family and friends, and our Pakistan team, in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Blog Post:  Posted August 27, 2009, 1:49 pm by Mary Tam

A worthy cause

Country: Pakistan

Topics: Women's Empowerment

With so many important issues out there, it is sometimes difficult to decide which ones to focus on. Every once in a while, there is a story that stands out above others, and Nicholas Kristof shared such a story in his recent column, Not a Victim, but a Hero. He writes of Mukhtar Mai and Assiya Rafiq, two incredible women who are paving the way for real change.

Both women have suffered horrific injustices that could easily result in perpetual fear or despair. Instead, these women have reached inside themselves and come back with an inspiring strength that makes me want to cheer and cry at the same time. They have made the decision to stand up for their rights, despite the fact that they face a myriad of challenges. They speak out for themselves, for the countless women who have experienced similar injustices and to prevent this from happening to others.

I have a deep admiration for the courage of Mukhtar and Assiya, and am honored to support them. Theirs is, undoubtedly, a worthy cause.

Blog Post:  Posted August 21, 2009, 11:15 am by Dan Sadowsky

Displaced Pakistanis head home

Country: Pakistan

Topics: Displacement, Conflict & War

Here's the latest from our team in Pakistan, which continues to help families from northwest Pakistan displaced earlier this year by the fighting between Taliban militants and the Pakistan army.

An average of 500 to 1,500 displaced families are returning to their homes each day. According to government data, 228,768 families of the 329,000 "verified" as displaced have returned to their homes in the districts of Swat, Buner and Dir.

Despite the high volume of returnees, the security situation in parts of Swat and Buner remains tenuous. While most of the major roads are open for traffic, reports of armed Taliban along the periphery are common. The military continues to conduct operations in many parts of Swat. Despite these risks, people are returning home to start rebuilding their lives and livelihoods.

We've sent several assessment teams to Swat to determine how we can best support returning families. In Mingora, we are working to improve water supply for more than 25,000 people. And we've submitted a proposal to bring clean water, improved sanitation and employment assistance to more residents of the district.

Our activities for displaced youth engaged a total of 642 boys and 743 at six locations. Under the same project, six nutrition trainings for 241 mothers. The tents, chairs, tables, whiteboards and electric fans were handed over to the schools, and the kids were allowed to take home toys and sports equipment.

We improved sanitation conditions and water access for 400 families living in 22 schools and one "spontaneous camp." Our teams constructed or rehabilitated 18 wells handpumps, 55 latrines, 61 bathrooms, 38 washing platforms, 14 drainage facilities, 27 waste-bins and 13 electric water coolers. They also distributed 16,000 water purification tablets, 400 hygiene kits, and 300 buckets and ablution pots.

Blog Post:  Posted August 12, 2009, 10:31 am by Jawad Ali

Dresses to the displaced

Country: Pakistan

Topics: Displacement, Conflict & War, Children

Mercy Corps was one of the first organizations to initiate relief and rehabilitation activities after the devastating earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir in October 2005. Some women who lost their husbands in the earthquake are currently undergoing handicrafts development training in facilities established and funded by Mercy Corps in Jehlum Valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, or AJK. These women are currently earning crucial cash income to support their dependents, which they earn by stitching dresses and selling embroidery work.

Last month, these women voluntarily contacted Mercy Corps staff in AJK and wished to contribute through tailoring dresses for the internally displaced children. They requested Mercy Corps staff to help procuring cloth so that they could stitch those for free for IDP children.

The Mercy Corps staff in Muzaffarabad contacted shopkeepers, friends and relatives in Muzaffarabad town — the capital of AJK — and inquired if they wanted to contribute some fabric material. During this effort, some tailors in Muzaffarabad town also expressed interest in stitching dresses for free for the IDP children. Through these efforts, fabric material for making 150 dresses (100 for children, and 50 for elders) and shawls were collected.

The fabric donated by various shopkeepers, other individuals and Mercy Corps staff, was then provided to some tailors in Muzaffarabad and some of the women in the handicraft training.

The first consignment of 46 dresses (shalwar qameez) was made for girls by the women in training and sent to the Mercy Corps Head Office in Islamabad. These dresses were then distributed to girls in camps by Nancy Lindborg, Mercy Corps' president, during her visit to Pakistan.

The rest of the dresses are also ready, and the women who stitched them will soon visit the camps and distribute them for themselves.

Blog Post:  Posted July 30, 2009, 7:54 am by Nancy Lindborg

Generosity and play in the hardest of times

Country: Pakistan

Topics: Emergencies, Displacement, Conflict & War, Children

Here in the Pakistani city of Mardan, displaced families are starting to move home after nearly three months sweltering in the hot tents of makeshift camps.

Two days ago, I visited one spontaneous camp of 250 people — who'd fled from intense fighting between government troops and Taliban militants — living in the yard of a brick factory in a neighboring district. The owner of the factory simply opened up his gates when he saw families trudging along the road as they fled the turmoil of the Swat Valley. When electricity failed and the electrically-powered water pump wouldn't work, he opened his home so that everyone — 250 people — could have water, which is critical in the ferocious 105 degree heat.

It's hard to fully fathom the depth of generosity that so many host families have displayed, even as their guests have ended up staying for months. Nearby in the village of Lundkhwar, 170 people are camping at a girl's middle school. When I visited, most of them were returning from a wedding, having been invited by a kind member of the host community.

Mercy Corps has worked to provide additional temporary latrine and washing facilities, hand pumps and — perhaps most importantly — sheltered, shaded areas where our teams help children play in safety. In addition to the heat and discomfort of living in tents with just a few household items, perhaps the toughest daily reminder of displacement for families is the tedium that can lead to hopelessness and acting out by the kids. in the brick factory, almost 80 kids were in the two play shelters, working puzzles and looking at picture books. The families in this brick yard are from Matta, one of the toughest and hardest-hit areas in the northern part of Swat.

It has not yet been fully declared open for return, so they may have another week or two before they can begin their journey home like so many of their neighbors already have.

Blog Post:  Posted July 29, 2009, 5:24 am by Nancy Lindborg

Life returns to Pakistan's Swat Valley

Country: Pakistan

Topics: Emergencies, Displacement, Conflict & War

Swat is often called the Switzerland of Pakistan, and yesterday I had a chance to see why.

I had the rare opportunity to tour the conflict-affected areas by helicopter, where access has been restricted due to security concerns. Flying at treetop level provides an eerie sense of omniscience, looking onto rooftops and into courtyards. The contours of the land, the underlying patterns of villages and roads become clear, especially in the rugged mountains of Swat where the roads snake over passes and along ridges, houses hug the mountainside alongside terraced ridges.

As we flew yesterday, we passed over a long line of trucks, rickshaws, cars and buses filled with the displaced residents of Swat returning home. The "all clear" has been sounded for all of Buner and most of Swat, the two districts of Pakistan where conflict had pushed out most of the residents in a terrifying exodus — most of them left with minimal possessions, and many of whom walked for several days until they reached either transport or shelter. The elderly and infirmed were often left at home, unable to withstand the journey and taking their chances as the Pakistan military sought to crush the Taliban insurgency once and for all.

Most importantly, traveling with Pakistan country director Steve Claborne, we were able to make a quick aerial assessment of the damage that awaited the returnees. Thousands of people have returned over the last two weeks. Once again, I was struck by the extraordinary resilience of people.

We touched down in Mingora, Swat's largest city, and toured the already-bustling marketplace, perhaps already 30 percent back in business. Open-front shops were selling produce, household goods, flowers and — most interestingly — radios, cassettes and videos, which were banned under the Taliban rule of the last several months. Women were on the streets, after having been forced inside under the Taliban. Laundry flapped in nearly half the houses and children tumbled out to wave at us.

Damage is centered on buildings near the roadside, on the 230 schools destroyed by the Taliban and in the buildings that housed the insurgents. There is rubble; there is damage, but the determination of the people to return from the ferocious heat and hopelessness of the camps is clear. Mercy Corps will focus our return programs on helping people quickly recover and get back to school and work.