Pakistan floods: isolated region of Balochistan still in dire need of assistance

   

         
Date, location: 18-20 September 2010 / eastern Balochistan region in Pakistan

Length: 8'37 "

Format: 16:9

Production: Najum Ul-Saqib Iqbal / Didier Revol

Sound: English, Urdu and Balochi

Copyright: ICRC Access All 

ICRC ref: V F CR-F-01068

As floodwaters slowly recede, an estimated 600,000 displaced flood victims are preparing to return to what is left of their homes.

The floods that have devastated lives and livelihood hit hard on the people in Balochistan. Security concerns, isolation and restrictions on the movement of staff further aggravate the prevailing dire needs for food, water, shelter and medici nes.

Dera Allah Yaar, the district capital of Jaffarabad, was inundated by floodwaters coming from Sindh province. Mrs. Murad Khatoon, aged 90, resident of village Theri near Lehri is living with her blind husband and grand children. Her daughter-in-law was drowned in flood and her husband was stuck on the other side of the stream. He is not coming back as he feared that flood might come again. In her words,

 '' I do not have anything and there is no one to support me. Floods have washed away our house and all the belongings. My son-in-law has not come to me yet. We received a little food before. Now we have enough food. We also need some money and clothes for children and me."  

Mrs Murad Khatoon is contended as on one hand, she has the food and on the other hand, her husband is safe and is looking forward to seeing him soon.

In the villages of Union Council Lehri of district Sibi, the residents have nothing left but remains of their houses that were washed away by flood wave. The Pakistan Red Crescent together with the ICRC has started distribution in this area and are trying to speed up the provision of relief in order to reach as quickly as possible to those still without any help.

The ICRC one month food package at least relieves the victims from worrying from feeding their children and focus on other issues like finding a shelter. The situation is particularly difficult for women and elderly people as they cannot do any labour to buy food owing to their weak physique.

Adrien Zimmermann mentions the gravity of the situation in following words,

 ''Humanitarian organizations are overwhelmed. More can and has to be done. The ICRC stands ready to do that but needs more humanitarian space, needs more access to the victims. The ICRC needs to be able to bring more expertise, deploy to the field in order to quicker, and more comprehensively assist the people.''  

ICRC have assisted roughly, 30,000 people are aiming to assist 375,000 people over the next four to six weeks.

Balochistan, geographically 43% of Pakistan but the least developed, has already been affected by violence when torrential rains unfold yet another misery for already impoverished people. The ICRC is supporting Pakistan Red Crescent to distribute food and other relief items to the residents of the affected villages through its vast network of volunteers.

LOGLIST

00:00:00- 00:00:20 Areas submerged in flood water in Dera Alla Yar, district Jaffarabad

00:00:20 - 00:00:30 National Highway linking Balochistan to Jacobabad district of Sindh swept away from floodwater at Dera Alla Yar, district Jaffarabad. Showing a bus stranded due to damaged road

00:00:30 – 00:00:34 People using boats to move. Showing inundated areas in Dera Alla Yar of district Jaffarabad

00:00:34 – 00:01:52 Flood effects i.e. house hold belongings on road sides, stagnant water, school surrounded by flood water & electricity transformers submerged, etc.

00:01:52 – 00:02:42 Interview of Ali Gul, flood victim in Dera Alla Yar, district Jaffarabad

 "In my 55-60 years of life, I have not seen such a big flood. Even my father had not seen such a big catastrophe in his life. Before our family was living a happy and had everything but when flood came we are almost unconscious'' (Urdu language)

Close up of grandson of Ali Gul

Tent of Ali Gul and family using dirty water

00:02:42 – 00:03:01 Track short- pan moving left to right- showing buffaloes with flooded houses in the back drop

00:03:01 – 00:03:29 Long short – pan moving left to right – camp of displaced flood victims with their left over cattle & belongings. A family trying to find shelter using whatever they have at hand in Dera Murad Jamali, district Naseerabad

00:03:29 – 00:04:00 Interview of Adrien Zimmermann, Head of Sub-Delegation ICRC Quetta

 ''The ICRC has been present in Balochistan before the floods. We have a long-term presence in Balochistan for around 30 years. We have been able to react quickly with our local partner, Pakistan Red Crescent Society in the recent flooding. At the moment we have already assisted roughly, 30,000 people are aiming to assist 350,000 people over the next four to six weeks''  

    

00:04:00 - 00:04:32 People coming towards distribution site

Sibi warehouse with bags and daily workers busy in loading

00:04:32 – 00:04:43 External view of warehouse and loading of trucks

Trucks leaving warehouse for distribution point

Arrival of trucks at distribution point and people coming toward distribution point.

Unloading – ICRC and PRCS staff helping in unloading

00:04:43 – 00:05:46 People queuing up to get relief while PRCS volunteers & ICRC staff checks the ID cards, guides them to the relief items – beneficiaries sitting with the received food package, including Murad Khatoon, ITW below.

00:05:46 – 00:06:18 Interview of Adrien Zimmermann, ICRC Head of Sub-Delegation in Quetta:

 ''Humanitarian organizations are over whelmed. More can and has to be done. The ICRC stands ready to do that but needs more humanitarian space, needs more access to the victims. The ICRC needs to be able to bring more expertise, deploy to the field in order to quicker, and more comprehensively assist the people''  

    

00:06:18 – 00:06:43 Beneficiaries leaving the compound carrying the received food package

00:06:43 – 00:08:03 Murad Khatoon is being helped in loading her food package on to a donkey cart and leaving the compound. Arrival at her tent and unloading of items

00:08:03 – 00:08:21 Interview of Murad Khatoon

'' I do not have anything and there is no one to support me. Floods have washed away our house and all the belongings. My son-in-law has not come to me yet. We received a little food before. Now we have enough food. We also need some money and clothes for children and me''  

    

00:08:21 – 00:08:37 Kids in front of tents

  For further information, please contact:
  Michael O'Brien, ICRC Pakistan, tel: +92 300 850 8138
  Adrian Zimmermann, ICRC Quetta, tel: +920300 856 8667
  Christian Cardon, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 24 26 or +41 79 251 93 02
 

For information on footage and FTP access , please contact:
Didier Revol, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 36 81 or +41 79 217 32 82 ;