An estimated 43 percent of affected people in two provinces are severely short of food, and malnutrition is on the rise, a report says
p>LONDON (AlertNet) - Six months after floods devastated large parts of southern Pakistan, the emergency is "far from over", with at least 2.5 million people lacking essentials such as clean water, enough food and durable shelter, says a report from a coalition of Pakistani and international aid agencies.An estimated 43 percent of affected people in the provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan are severely short of food, and malnutrition is on the rise, according to the briefing.
"Rates of malnutrition among women and children in the flood-affected districts continue to be at alarming levels," David Wright, country director for Save the Children, said in a joint statement. "The floods have exposed and deepened a food crisis in Sindh that has resulted in malnutrition rates far worse than those in sub-Saharan Africa."
The floods, which began in August 2011, affected more than 5 million people, including 1.8 million who were left homeless, and destroyed over 2.2 million acres of crops.
Restricted access to basic necessities in the wake of the crisis has left people threatened not only by hunger, disease and worsening poverty, but also exploitation in the form of bonded labour, sexual abuse and human trafficking, notes the report, which is backed by some 50 aid groups, including Oxfam, CARE International, ActionAid, Islamic Relief and the International Rescue Committee.
"People are still at risk, with tens of thousands still displaced in the flood-affected areas, while many have returned home to little or nothing," said Lynn Hastings, Pakistan head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Communities must be strengthened and further funding is needed to assist them to restore their livelihoods and rebuild their lives."
Local agriculture has been badly damaged, with one in four farmers missing the last planting season in November/December, either because their land was still submerged or they did not get help in time. Many could also miss the April farming season unless there is urgent action to rehabilitate fields and distribute seeds and tools, the report warns.
FUNDS 'DRYING UP'
The humanitarian coalition criticises sparse donor funding for a floods response appeal launched by the United Nations (U.N) in September for $357 million through to March 2012. It remains only 48 percent covered, endangering flood-hit communities' chances of coping with this year's monsoon season, according to the aid agencies.
"With funds drying up, millions will find it extremely hard to make it through the next few months," said Neva Khan, Oxfam's Pakistan director, urging donors and and the Pakistani government to "step up their response immediately".
Islamabad was too slow to call for international support after the disaster, which hit only a year after massive flooding inundated communities from the north to the south of the country along the Indus River, the report says.
While the national and provincial authorities, military and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) launched their own response quickly in 2011, saving many lives, the government did not allow international aid groups to join the effort until September.
"Consequently, precious time was lost and opportunities were missed to minimise the impact of the floods," says the report, adding that social discrimination and political bias left some families with little or no aid.
When international aid agencies were eventually asked to participate, they were not permitted to give unconditional cash grants, which caused delays and harmed local businesses as the goods they provided distorted markets, the report adds.
The response also failed to target the needs of the most vulnerable, including women, the elderly and disabled people, it says. For example, many women were not able to wash for weeks due to a lack of privacy, putting their health at risk, it notes.
NEED FOR BETTER PREPARATION
The aid agencies called on Islamabad to step up efforts to prepare for future disasters, which are expected to get worse due to climate change.
While the Pakistani government has made some progress in improving disaster management, it needs to boost political commitment, allocate more financial and human resources, and clarify responsibilities to make the system more effective, the report says.
Reforms must also be put in place to tackle socio-economic injustices, such as weak land rights and gender discrimination, which increase disaster risk for certain groups, it adds.
"Each flood, drought and earthquake that Pakistan suffers pushes people even deeper into poverty and destitution," Fayaz Ahmad, head of Islamic Relief Pakistan, said in the statement. "Pakistan must immediately strengthen its ability to deal with future disasters, or the gains made through development efforts (will) be lost year after year."
The briefing paper, "Pakistan floods emergency - Lessons from a continuing disaster", can be downloaded from the Oxfam website.
(Editing by Julie Mollins)
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