Pakistan Relief Foundation Report on Drought/Famine Affected Tharparkar @Mithi
(Situation, actions taken and long term solutions) Let’s say something about Drought-affected Tharparkar@ Mithi District: This district of Sindh province is headquartered at its city namely Mithi. Tough wolrd’s sixth largest coal reserves are lying in the land of this district but it has the lowest Human Development Index among all districts of the province. The most of population of the area use to speak with each other in “Dhatki”, the local language since many decades. It is Indian bordering district. The district has four other talukas with over 2,000 villages spread across the largest desert region in the country. People can’t cultivate crops on their lands as there is desert everywhere. Tharparkar is a biggest desert of Sindh and Pakistan. Local population use to wait for monsoon rains which occur for their bread and butter. Assessed reasons of drought/famine: According to the assessment conducted by PRF’s team, Tharparkar @ Mithi district, which usually receives rainfall only during the monsoon season, witnessed scattered and delayed rains during monsoon-2013. The rain deficit in parts of district resulted in less-than-average agriculture production and shortage of fodder for livestock. The situation aggravated in the months October, November, and December with the outbreak of sheep pox and other diseases which affected more than 0.1 million livestock. Later, situation turned into severe phase and innocent children became the target of drought.
Failures on the part of Sindh Government: It could be recalled easily that in August 2012, last provincial government (led by Pakistan People’s Party) had declared Tharparkar calamity-hit as they had assessed the situation of drought on time and they succeeded to to save the livestock and precious lives of local people.
In 2013-14 case, the current Sindh government which is also of PPP, had not taken pre- drought steps to secure the people of Tharparkar @Mithi. When livestock started to die in from October 2013, the provincial government didn’t take notice of it. Later on, things became more serious in November, December-2013, January, February and March 2014, and when media pointed out the deaths of livestock along with innocent children than government opened their eyes.
Earlier, there was no contingency plan prepared by the government. There has neither been any provincial emergency operation centre nor a provincial or district disaster management authority operational in the area. The provincial government along with all concerned departments particularly Relief, Food, Livestock, Health, and others should have plan and adopt drought-mitigation and risk-reduction strategies to avoid the huge losses coming out of the continuous drought in the area. .
PRF Relief and Rescue operation (Phase-I, March 1st to 8): PRF team reached at Tharparkar@Mithi to provide relief to the drought-affected people. Led by Founder Chairman Haleem Adil Sheikh, the team distributed more than 500 bags which contained mineral water, cerelec energy biscuits, milk, juices and toys. The team also provided health facilities to the affectees as PRF ambulance and doctors were part of team. The doctors visited many villages of area and provided checked up a big number of population while giving them medicines as well. PRF team reached at District hospital Mithi where patients were lying under open sky-ground without any medication due to scarcity of beds in the hospital. It was witnessed that there was no pediatrician available in the hospital, only medical officer was facing the emergency situation despite the fact that media and government both had highlighted the emergency.
PRF Relief and Rescue operation (Phase-II, March 13 to 17):
On March 13: The PRF team led by Mr. Haleem Adil Sheikh had distributed food, water, life saving drugs during the visit of following villages.
Village Kath Mori
Village Mustafa Lund
Union Council Batharo
Village Saeen Asar
Village Jagarthar
The team visited Kalhoe city and local hospital which was over-crowded by the drought- affected patients. It was found, during the visit that hospital lacks child specialist and essential medicines. PRF volunteer doctors established medical camp on the spot in the ambulance and provided essential medicines to the helpless patients.
On March 14th, PRF team visited various areas of taluka Chhachhro and distributed relief goods. The team including young saviors distributed food, mineral water and medicines in following villages.
Village Thaklo
Village Veejar
Village Peerano par
Village Chachi Dhoni
Village Mehro
Village Mangchi
On March 15, PRF team visited Tharparkar, Mithi, Islamkot, Nangarparkar, Deeplo, Chhachhro and other drought-affected villages. The team distributed relief goods to the famine victims and provided medical assistance to the available patients.
PRF activities, Phase-III (March 24): The team conducted relief activities in drought affected areas of District Umerkot and Tharparkar @ Mithi including Union Councils Khokhrapar and Khiplo. PRF team distributed food supplement packages to the admitted infants in the hospital along in following villages.
Village Batharo
Village Salyaro
Village Mandharo
village Garnijodar
Village Amrarh
Village Dokar
Village Shor.
During the visits, PRF Chairman Mr. Haleem Adil Shaikh met with the people and inquired them about the problems. The team provided medical facilities to the people at their door step.
During three phases of relief, PRF had distributed 4200 ration bags, 8128 water coolers, 4630 NFIs, 6080 bottles of mineral water (5 liter), 1500 Nutrition packs, 150 infants shifted to hospitals through PRF’s ambulance, 2820 patients were treated and had been provided medicines by the team of Doctors.
Assessment:
1. The current crises is essentially man made as a result of bad Governance, cronyism and corruption.
2. Government is trying to hide facts and fudge figures to deflect public and Media pressure.
3. Government relief activities are confined to Circuit House of Mithi for projection of VVIP visits.
4. Government failed to develop a seamless relief distribution system in the effected districts.
5. Medical facilities are inadequate and children are still facing deaths and so far more than 175 children have been died.
Needs:
Food Items (high-energy biscuits, mineral water, pulses, etc)
Mosquito Nets
Essential medicines including clean delivery kits
Fodder and vaccination of livestock
Final recommendations:
1-Government should chalk out plan for the permanent sources of income of local people
2-Youth of the area would be given priority in Prime Minister’s youth loan scheme
3-Concenred officials of Revenue, Relief, Food, Health and Livestock would be published for this historical tragedy of Tharparkar
4-Special Task Force on Drought in Sindh consisting of experts, civil society representatives and Government officials should be constituted
5- The relief being provided to the effected people should be depoliticized
6-VVIP visits to the affected areas should be minimized to avoid disturbing the relief
Operations
7- Food security should be provided to the people
8-Children are malnourished therefore nutrition supplement should be provided
9-State-run- hospitals should be made well-equipped along with all kind of medicine, doctors and ambulances
10- Arrangements should be made for clean drinking water as top priority.
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