Thousands stream out of Thatta as floods spread

About 70 percent of Thatta’s 300,000 people move to safer areas Official says army engineers struggling to plug breach at Faqir Jogoth Thousands of people on Friday fled Thatta city after the swollen Indus River burst its banks and authorities ordered an evacuation.
Around 175,000 people - around 70 percent of Thatta’s population - were believed to have packed up and left overnight. Surrounding towns of Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro and Darro — which had a combined population of 400,000 — had already been evacuated.
A stream of buses, cars, trucks and bullock carts snaked out of Thatta heading for higher ground. Many people were walking, driving livestock and carrying bundles of possessions.According to the district administration, the floodwater is expected to enter Thatta city early on Saturday. Many people from outlying areas had taken refuge in Thatta, which normally has a population of about 300,000, and now had to move again, another official said. But Farooqi said one breach in the riverbank had been plugged and authorities were working to patch another near Faqir Jogoth.

In Makli, which is a hilly area, devastated people were seen sitting out in the open with their children and cattle.
"It is the worst tragedy.... We are leaving our homes in miserable condition.
A stream of buses, cars, trucks and bullock carts sna-ked out of Thatta heading for higher ground. Many people are walking, driving livestock and carrying bundles of possessions. But some people refused to go.

“We’re not going to leave. How can we leave? Who will protect my house?” Affectees Said.

Ghulam Nabi Nizamani
Coordinator ASHA
CEO PDPO / DPI PAK
Secretary DPI AP
VC CBR AP Network
Phone: +92-333-2916281
email: ghulamanabi.nizamani@gmail.com
Web: www.pdpo.org.pk

Assessment of Temporary Shelter by Persons with Disabilities in Karachi

Disabled Welfare Association (DWA) and Danishkadah jointly did a survey of Internally Displaced Persons with Disabilities (IDPWDs), at Razkabad camp Karachi, on Sunday 22nd August.

The aim of the survey was to identify the IDPWDs and their needs. So we can try to help them more accurately with a fixed target.

This camp has two parts one is in the school building and another is in the ground in thousands of tents. In one part there are 567 families in which 623 are male and 163 are female, in 2nd part of the camp there are 1438 families, in which 756 are female and 628 are male along with 9 “special” children. This data we noted from the board in camp. However when we survey ourselves we found 100s of PWDs in this camp, we have noted these in a separate list. Moreover DWA’s volunteer took many photos and made video to show the real picture.

Wheelchair users in our survey team face difficulties as the path was not clear betweens the tents. Moreover due to Ramadan lack of time also made it difficult to check 1000s of tents however volunteer checked tents from morning till evening under leadership of Mr. Javed Rais president DWA.

During survey we found that besides persons with disabilities there are many people who got injuries during the flood, there are pregnant woman and aged people. They are weak and cannot get their share from the items distributed by many NOGs, and individuals. Because when they distribute things there are so many people who try to snatch because there are more people and less items to be distributed. This is also noted that women with pregnancy have risk of disability to unborn baby because lack of food, medicine hygiene and other factors.

The most wanted item we found were cloths, many of them have only one dress in which they evacuate from their home and haven’t change their cloth since many days, many children do not have proper / complete dress. Besides this the daily meals is another important thing they need, as they are weak and cannot win their share competing with other peers.

People with Physical disabilities are more in numbers, some of them need wheelchairs, some are two weak to walk or sit by themselves they need urine bottle and toilet chair, these things are not available in the camp. Besides as usual toilets are not accessible for wheelchair users. Camp management consideration is requested in this regard.

DWA and Danishkadah will survey other camps in Karachi and later further inside in Sindh Province which is badly affected.
Source: Disabled Welfare Association Karachi.