Disease and Corruption Hinder Pakistan Flood Relief

by Jordan Yerman | August 13, 2010 at 10:34 am

709 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

Pakistan Flooding Update: Disease Complicates Recovery

As Pakistan struggles to deal with the Swat Valley flooding, outbreaks of disease are making the relief effort more difficult. So far, seven cholera outbreaks, as well as water-borne diseases, are overtaxing hospitals and using up already-scarce relief funds.

The cholera cases in particular have officials worried: a widespread outbreak would be disastrous. Meanwhile, the monsoon season is not over, and dams in Pakistan's south could still burst.

The United Nations is worried about water-borne diseases. There have been 36,000 suspected cases of potentially fatal acute watery diarrhea reported so far. It says the floods have affected about one-third of Pakistan.

Corruption Stalls Aid Donations

Aid money has been trickling into Pakistan very slowly. Overall, the Swat valley flooding has not commanded the same sort of media attention as the Haiti earthquake, and Islamic fundamentalist organizations have stepped in where the Pakistan government could not. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was visiting London during the early days of the catastrophe, and was widely criticized for not remaining at home with his people.

Westerners are wary about donating money that could end up in the hands of groups that sponsor terrorism. This is exacerbated by the Wikileaks revelations, which indicate Pakistan's government is supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan: donors don't know which way to turn.

"The money does not reach to the people who deserve it, and a lot of corruption is the reason for that," said Muhammad.

"Learning from the past experience, people are not motivated enough to collect money."

Muhammad said it's likely that if people do donate, they will give to organizations they trust.