subject: Pakistan And The Challenge Of Rebuilding [print this page] Pakistan is still in the first phase of relief efforts as the catastrophic flood continues to threaten new areas. The challenge of getting aid to millions of people who are still stranded or without adequate shelter, food, sanitation facilities and clean drinking water is still proving to be more than the authorities can manage. The immediate threat to the 20 million who are affected is just the beginning of a recovery that will take years and billions of dollars before anything resembling normalcy can be restored.
When Pakistan completes the first stage - providing short term relief to all the flood victims - the country will then face a massive rebuilding of infrastructure, roads and housing. There are very real concerns that the governments failure, or perceived failure, to meet the challenges will divide the country and threaten the fragile democracy that maintains a tenuous foothold in the stricken region.
The flooding that occurred in Pakistan in 1970 brought in its aftermath a wave of revolt that split the country and led to the creation of Bangladesh. Though the loss of life was much greater (an estimated 400,000 dead), the scale of this summers flooding is much greater. Some analysts say that the damage is 30 times that of the 1970 catastrophe. It seems clear that if the government does not act effectively and decisively in the rebuilding of Pakistan, then there is likely to be unrest and possibly a revolt led by the political opposition.
The Muslim states and the West will have to work together to help Pakistan rebuild. Stability in the region is in everyones best interest and Pakistan can certainly never meet the challenge alone. Continued help will be needed to rebuild the infrastructure and thousands of kilometers of roads, and IT workers will be needed to repair the damage to the telecommunications networks across the flooded regions.
For those trying to reach loved ones in Pakistan, this has been a frustrating time. Desperate to hear news of friends and family who call Pakistan home, many are making international calls in vain as the telecom service literally has been washed away. It may take months before people can find out the fates of individuals in the affected areas. The citizens of Pakistan can only wait and pray for recovery.
