Photo of the week: why have we left Pakistan stranded?

The devastating floods in Pakistan have killed less people than that of the Haiti earthquake or the 2004 tsunami. But it does and will continue to impact twenty million people that are trying to flee the area – larger than Italy (check out the comparison against Australia) – still underwater.

The reaction to the unprecedented scale of disaster has been slow, including from Pakistan’s own government. For example, to date, US$251 million dollars has been provided for Pakistan while at the same point in time, the Haiti earthquake had raised $637 million.

UN secretary, Ban Ki-Moon has said, “Pakistan is facing a slow-motion tsunami. Its destructive powers will accumulate and grow with time”. So why has the international community been so slow to react?

Setting up ActionAid’s distribution point in Jharo, Upper Swat, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. A local person has volunteered his hujira to our partner to be used as a storage and distribution point.

There may be a number of reasons why the Pakistan floods have not received as much aid as other disasters. The timing of the floods has led to what some have termed “donor fatigue”, where the donors have already made a stretched commitment to the Haiti earthquake in tight financial times.

The comparatively low death rate and the complex ongoing nature of the disaster combined with the upcoming federal election this week could also explain why Australian media has only recently began to cover the floods. Some people are reluctant to donate to Pakistan because of their involvement with nuclear weapons and links to some terror groups.

Nevertheless, we need to look beyond this and see the humanitarian issues at the heart of this situation where every day people have been badly affected by this disaster. Quite simply, people are suffering and that is something that should rise above any political issues.

Please donate to the Pakistan floods appeal by donating online or calling 1300 66 66 72. Thank you for your generosity.