KARACHI - The increasing food insecurity and less attention to retrieve forced evacuation has begun another mass catastrophe in thousands of camps, set up for flood victims, especially in eight worse affected districts of Sindh.
Only in Naukot Forte Camp, 30 people including 22 children had died in last four months.
This was revealed in the 6th Civil Society Floods Situation Report released here on Monday. The report has specified the current status of food and forced return of flood affected IDPs from camps and miserable food assistance situation in calamity-hit districts during relief phase.
The report contains studies of field reports generated by volunteers’ network and other information sources. “In mid of August, heavy rain begin and led to severe floods in Southern Pakistan and Sindh. The initial reports of assessment made public by the Sindh PDMA said that the flood inflicted damages across 23 districts almost in every sector. It was initially announced that over 8 million people were affected with human loss of more than 400 persons and nearly 1.5 million homes were also partially or fully damaged.”
Report added that a joint rapid need assessment was carried out in 16 districts of Sindh involving clusters during September to assess the needs of the flood victims and to determine the severity and impact of floods in concerned districts.
The report quoting FAO that $18.9 million out of total food security cluster funding requirements of nearly $174 million to address critical needs to save, protect and restore agriculture-based livelihoods - the way of life of 80 percent people in affected areas.
Talking about the organisations, report includes that 42 organisations reported their activities to the Food Security Cluster in 15 districts (September 2011 to date), of which 21 organisations closed their operations showing the withdrawal strategy of food assistance to flood affectees. Further adding the beneficiaries of food support by WFP it includes that “WFP has reached 3,463,446 (individuals) beneficiaries with unconditional food assistance distributions in 12 districts including 3 districts Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, and Umerkot in December.”
The people had informed the members that their villages in the surroundings of Jhuddo, Roshanabad, Fazal Bhambro, Kaloi, Naukot Ohri, Tando Jan Muhammad, Samaro and Nafees Nagar were still under rain and saline water, said the report.
It suggested that in districts Umerkot, Badin and Tharparkar where water recession is low should be supported with food assistance with winterisation items and protection friendly environment. Unconditional food support should be provided to most vulnerable as shelter less, old aged, women household head, disables so that vulnerability of the flood victims can be minimised.
Supplementary food assistance should be provided to 1 to 5 years children and lactating women. Camps should be continued till early recovery framework properly starts so that IDPs can respectfully live their lives. Protection issues and concerns in camps as denial of basic relief services may be considered forced return of IDPs.
Suggesting about people moderately food insecure, the report suggested that as per Joint UN-Government Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA), 2.2 million People severely food-insecure and 2.1 million people moderately food insecure in the flood affected areas of Sindh should be prioritized with food assistance.