Here is another blog post by a concerned Australian in response to my appeal.
The floods
Posted on 10 August 2010
by shawjonathan
Pakistan is being devastated by the worst floods in its history. At least 1600 people have been killed, and about 15 million directly affected. The images on the television news are scarifying. This massive disaster doesn’t rate a mention before page 11 of today’s Sydney Morning Herald. I couldn’t see anything in the Herald about how to help.Where are the fund raisers? Where’s the emergency number we can phone to donate? We rallied to the aid of the United States, for goodness sake, the richest nation on earth, after the comparatively minor floods in New Orleans! Are we so distracted by the most dispiriting Australian election campaign in living memory, or is it that the people affected this time are largely Muslim?
UNICEF may not be getting much airplay, but they are on the job:
UNICEF is urgently calling for US$10.3 million to support initial relief efforts in the region to provide emergency healthcare, water and sanitation and child protection to those who need it most.
You can donate online to UNICEF Australia’s Pakistan Flood Children’s Appeal or call 1300 884 233.
Later: I hadn’t donated when Shaista’s comment arrived. She changed my mind about UNICEF, as she’s probably right that they have to go through the unreliable channel of the Pakistani government. Instead I donated to Oxfam Australia’s Pakistan Floods Appeal, We donate to Oxfam regularly and I’ve got confidence in them as an aid and community development organisation.
My response:
ReplyDeleteShaista Khan | 10 August 2010 at 2.53 pm | Reply Hi Jonathan,
It is good to see concerned citizens like yourself who value human life and are undeterred by political or religious biases. You have rightly pointed out that even though the Floods are greater than the Tsunami ( latest UN Report http://www.smh.com.au/world/pakistan-floods-worse-than-tsunami-un-20100810-11ugo.html) sadly there is very little press coverage and appeal for donations. The big aid agencies are doing their job.
Being a Pakistani, this cause is very close to my heart. Hence on a personal level, I am liaising with relief workers who are going to the flood affected areas with relief goods and raising money for that. I just feel its good to cut down as much red tape as you can.
The aid agencies work directly with the government, unfortunately most of the Pakistanis have little faith in the present leaders. So we endeavour to do what we can on a personal level. There are countless stories of ordinary Pakistanis who leave their own families and jobs to go and help people in such catastrophes. The last big calamity was the earthquake that hit Pakistan’s Northern areas a few years back, people are still reeling with its effects.
Of course, it is everyone’s personal choice how they would like to help out. I would like to appeal to everyone to generously donate funds for the flood affectees.
For those of you who may prefer a more personal community based initiative, please join me in this worthy cause by spreading the message to your own network of family and friends. It does not matter whether you contribute $5 or $50, every little amount counts.
Since this is a personal initiative, I will not be able to give any receipts. But if anyone wishes to make any donations that go directly in the hands of relief workers, please contact me at shaistank@hotmail.com
Sincere Regards,
Shaista Khan