Floods in Pakistan
Aug. 25th, 2010 10:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hnpccThe reporting of the flooding in Pakistan has been sketchy here, partly because it's been overshadowed by the election. Which would normally be understandable, but given the policy-free election campaigns we had this time is less so. Seriously media? I don't care where either of the leaders went, how they were dressed or - unless they're actually going to talk about their policy - what they said.
Anyway.
This article on the IDP camps within Pakistan really got to me. It is about the women's experiences in the camps, particularly those women from traditional backgrounds who had not previously had much, if any, contact with non-related men and who are now surrounded by them. Which is culturally stressful, to say the least.
But in the camps there are no provisions for purdah. Young boys and girls have to sleep in the same room, at times next to each other, most mothers and families do not feel it's safe for their daughters, especially in the current circumstances.
I mean there's two variations on 'safe' there. One is consensual, but forbidden and likely to lead to major family problems, if not the murder of the daughter. One is not consensual. It would probably have the same result.
And then you have the normal IDP/refugee camp issues, only more so:
Health and sanitation is a big issue. One camp set up in a government building had no bathing facility.
Whereas the men and young children can take baths outside on the school lawn, women don't have that option.
Many people didn't have a chance to pick up their belongings when the floods hit their village so they have no change of clothes.
Many are wearing what they left home in and without being able to wash and women's hygiene in particular has deteriorated.
The situation is even worse for menstruating and pregnant women.
During the Oxfam walk I noticed that none of the portaloos had sanitary bins. In my feedback I pointed out that there were a large number of women aged roughly 18-45, and the probability was that roughly a fifth to a quarter of them were likely to be menstruating at the time of the walk and would it therefore be possible to maybe supply some damn bins next year please? A mild gripe, compared to what the women in these camps are going through. It would be so difficult not to be able to wash - can someone please set up a damn tent or screen on the lawn so these woman can bathe? This would also help a lot in reducing disease within the damn camp.
20 million displaced. The numbers are staggering, the volume of water is staggering. I hope that well-directed aid reaches people as quickly as possible, before the second wave of water-borne diseases start up in a major way.
EDIT: There's an online auction to benefit Pakistan here.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
17catherines has some organic, vegan pectin jellies for sale on there, see here.
Anyway.
This article on the IDP camps within Pakistan really got to me. It is about the women's experiences in the camps, particularly those women from traditional backgrounds who had not previously had much, if any, contact with non-related men and who are now surrounded by them. Which is culturally stressful, to say the least.
But in the camps there are no provisions for purdah. Young boys and girls have to sleep in the same room, at times next to each other, most mothers and families do not feel it's safe for their daughters, especially in the current circumstances.
I mean there's two variations on 'safe' there. One is consensual, but forbidden and likely to lead to major family problems, if not the murder of the daughter. One is not consensual. It would probably have the same result.
And then you have the normal IDP/refugee camp issues, only more so:
Health and sanitation is a big issue. One camp set up in a government building had no bathing facility.
Whereas the men and young children can take baths outside on the school lawn, women don't have that option.
Many people didn't have a chance to pick up their belongings when the floods hit their village so they have no change of clothes.
Many are wearing what they left home in and without being able to wash and women's hygiene in particular has deteriorated.
The situation is even worse for menstruating and pregnant women.
During the Oxfam walk I noticed that none of the portaloos had sanitary bins. In my feedback I pointed out that there were a large number of women aged roughly 18-45, and the probability was that roughly a fifth to a quarter of them were likely to be menstruating at the time of the walk and would it therefore be possible to maybe supply some damn bins next year please? A mild gripe, compared to what the women in these camps are going through. It would be so difficult not to be able to wash - can someone please set up a damn tent or screen on the lawn so these woman can bathe? This would also help a lot in reducing disease within the damn camp.
20 million displaced. The numbers are staggering, the volume of water is staggering. I hope that well-directed aid reaches people as quickly as possible, before the second wave of water-borne diseases start up in a major way.
EDIT: There's an online auction to benefit Pakistan here.
17catherines has some organic, vegan pectin jellies for sale on there, see here.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-25 02:08 am (UTC)If anyone wants to donate and doesn't know who they might want to send money to, I highly recommend signing up as a regular donator to Médecins Sans Frontières. They do very good work in emergency medical relief, and being a secular organisation, they don't clutter their efforts with any other activities.
They also typically already have people on the ground in many of the places likely to require emergency relief, and even if they don't, they're geared up to deliver that kind of relief, in a way that many other aid organisations aren't.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-25 07:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-25 07:44 am (UTC)"We're here to keep as many of you alive and approaching good health according to the best current medical practice, nothing less, nothing more."
That keeps them out of the vast majority of politics, just by virtue of not standing for anything at all except pure better health outcome delivery. This is a good thing. :-)