One clearly-described ways to help flood victims just posted August 13, 2010 here
Getty Images --
Man leading lifestock to relative safety
A Special Suggestion for Papers and Blogs:
The New York Times ran a feature story on the use of an open source platform, Ushahidi, to coordinate relief efforts for earthquake survivors in Haiti a few months ago: here
Now a similar platform has been created by Faisal Chohan, a Pakistani social entrepreneur: here
The success of the platform relies on every relief effort reporting their activities, so that overlap efforts can be avoided and those who haven't received aid can be identified. Survivors, relief workers etc on the ground can report the need for supplies via text (3441 FL) or by web.
This initiative needs your help in order to gain traction and in order to make the relief coordination effort a better one. Please get in touch with Faisal Chohan (copied) and run stories in your papers and blogs and let people know about this initiative by word of mouth.
Help will also be needed in recruiting volunteers to verify incoming reports once traffic increases.
Sincerely,
Imad
AFP Getty ImagesBy Juan Cole
I can barely believe the words I am writing are not a nightmare from which I will soon wake up, Juan Cole says here
Find much more (including in the comments) on the blog OneHeartForPeace CLICK here
From an eye witness social worker:
ReplyDeleteAccompanied by a team of committed social workers we have just returned from two days visit to khairpur, Sukkur and shikarpur. It was an agonizing and heart rending experience. We could not go to Kashmore as the road was already flooded. I have never seen so much misery. The officers concern who were doing excellent work spoke about further super highway flood of 15 lacs cusec which will reach the upper sindh in the next couple of days. We saw not only the camps in Khairpur and Shikarpur but stream of people coming from affected areas, camped on both side of the roads in makeshift centers. Huge funds are required to give shelter and food to displaced persons at least for a month more. I intend to call a meeting of businessmen and industrialists of Karachi for funds. I am hoping to receive very favourable response. I have impressed upon some of the TV channels who are not adequately covering the flood situation. We intend to visit Lahore and Peshawer to assess the damage and ascertain the funds required. Pray that we succeed in the efforts to relieve the people of sindh from this tragic catastrophe. As of immediate need is shelter and food with rehabilitation to follow which will be lot more difficult.