The sheer magnitude of the disaster makes providing relief to flood victims a monumental task. The challenges confronting the state are considerable and have overwhelmed Pakistan’s already fragile infrastructure. Yet just worrying about the problems will not ease the sufferings: the issues have to be identified and effective solutions need to be found and implemented.

Take the example of conditions at relief camps across the country. The major challenge is the provision of food, shelter and medical care. But as reports have made clear, even the provision of these basic needs is proving to be an uphill task for the government. For one thing, the small number of government employees manning the ever-swelling flood relief camps is causing bottlenecks in their smooth functioning. For example at one Karachi camp, 2,000 internally displaced persons are being managed by a staff of four. The camps are overcrowded and while people have food and medicines, clothes and proper bedding at several places are unavailable. People are also reportedly taking more food than required, adding to shortages for others. There are reports of substandard food being served at some camps in Sindh while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tents are unavailable in certain areas. Malakand is said to be in particularly bad shape. In southern Punjab observers say the looting of relief trucks is resulting in supplies not reaching the neediest segments.

The situation — difficult as it is — requires proper planning and sensitivity in equal measure. The government should increase the manpower assigned to each camp. We must also realise that most of the flood-affected people have lost everything; hence they are suffering from considerable mental trauma. Victims thus need to be dealt with compassionately, while efforts need to be made to educate them about personal hygiene and the unfairness of taking more food or supplies than needed. (Source Dawn)