Lyari gang war-hit families find shelter in coastline villages

KARACHI - Scores of families from Lyari, plagued by the ongoing gang-war, have rushed to villages along coastline to take shelter with their near and dear ones, The Nation has learnt. According to reports, the government authorities have failed to convince the affected villagers of the coastal belt to move towards relief camps, ahead of the cyclone Phet while the population of these villages has within few hours when the intense gunfight between the Lyari gangsters forced hundreds of families to leave their homes. It is to be noted here that the authorities concerned have been trying to convince the inhabitants of various villages including Hawks-bay, Mubarak Village, Allah Bux Village, Sumar Village and others to shift them to safer places. However, the residents of these villages are reluctant to leave their houses. At the same time, when the government is trying to evacuate villages along coastline in view of the cyclone Phet, the populations of these villages has doubled, as hundreds of families from Lyari, who left their homes due the ongoing gang-war there, have taken shelter with their relatives, living in these villages. On the other hand, villagers of Ketti Bandar have been evacuated from their homes but only a small number of residents could be shifted to the government established relief camps. Similarly, people of Kharo Chan villagers were also evacuated and some 6,000 people were shifted to safer places. But majority of people living along coastal belt of the metropolis, Badin and Thatta districts were not agree to move to relief camps. Affected villagers of coastal belt protested against the government and other civic agencies for not providing relief to them. They staged a protest during the visit of Sindh Fisheries and Livestock Minister Zahir Burguri to different villages. The villagers of Chashtam Goth, Rehri Goth and others started protest when the minister along with Fishermen Cooperative Society chairman Jaffar Khawaja visited the affected villages. They complained that the government was making tall claims regarding provision of relief to the affected people but so far no serious measure had been taken on the ground. The criticized the government and said that they were not being provided with foods, drinking water, medicines and other basic needs of life. The villagers ended their protest after the minister assured them that they would be provided with all-out support. Some resident of Ibrahim Hydri told The Nation that around 1,000 people, belong to different affected villages had been shifted to such localities where their relatives were lived. However, the government did not take any initiative regarding relief to the affected people. The affected villagers, instead of being shifted to the govt set up relief camps, preferred to move to the homes of their relatives. The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) said that hundreds of people had been shifted to relief camps from scattered islands of Keti Bunder, Kharo Chhan and Shah Bunder and vulnerable parts of District Badin. After hue and cry by the people at camps, the government has issued directives and strictly asked the health and Revenue officials concerned to ensure facilities at the camps. The health department officials are there with medicines and other facilities to avoid any outbreak at camps. The efforts are being made to supply food and other items to affected families. However, the people residing at coastal villages in Keamari and Bin Qasim Town have refused to move to the camps. The government officials are convincing them but the people believe that due to poor conditions at the camps they will prefer to stay at homes. In Bin Qasim Town alone 13 relief camps have been set up, mostly in government schools but the people are reluctant to move there. Similarly, all the government schools in Keamari Town coastal areas have been turned into relief camps. It was learned that the families are still hesitant to move to camps because of disappointing conditions there. Meanwhile, the PFF team has left its Central Secretariat to visit Thatta and Badin districts to assess the situation. The PFF has put on alert its volunteers in Badin, Thatta and Karachi districts coastal areas to monitor the situation and help the people in case of emergency. However, the PFF spokesman said they were still receiving complaints regarding food shortage, poor hygienic conditions and unavailability of health facilities. He said even the people were crying to have received contaminated water at the camps. He urged on the government officials to remove such complaints and facilitate the people. There is no report about the two small boats, carrying eight crew members, belong to Jatti after the passage of seven days. After developing tropical Cyclone in the Arabian Sea few days back and its possible affects on Pakistani coastal belt, efforts were made to bring back all boats which were in the high sea for fishing. However, after the search for seven days there is no report about the missing vessels and its crew members. Their families are worried bout the fate of their loved ones.