In a climate of an acute lack of trust, worldwide, in the Pakistan governments handling of resources, particularly financial, Mian Nawaz Sharifs reported proposal to constitute an independent and transparent body to receive and monitor the use of aid on flood relief, is highly commendable and deserves to be immediately put into effect. It is widely believed, and with good reason, that more money in the hands of the corrupt who run the affairs of the state would mean more chances for misappropriation. As it is, the local population as well as foreign governments and agencies, while keen to come forward to extend their help, are shying away from making their contributions to the fund established by the government for the purpose. Considering their role in the tragic incidents in the past when the people of Pakistan, the rich and the poor, went out of their way - in many cases, giving away even their prized possessions - they are not showing much enthusiasm to respond to appeals from the government. The unprecedented calamity would ordinarily have led them to give more generous help than even after the earthquake of October 2005. Certainly, inflationary pressures are not a major reason, as the people are eagerly making inquiries about whom to give the aid with the confidence that it would be rightfully spent. Obviously, NGOs known for their honest performance are receiving their attention. Foreign aid givers are likewise reluctant to contribute. However, the peoples plight cannot wait; it threatens their survival and demands urgent help. And the mind-boggling scale of the catastrophe makes the provision of relief a challenging task. The floods have turned out to be unprecedented as well as unexpected, leaving the weather pundits utterly confused and the aid givers hopelessly searching for anyone who could deliver. On the other hand, big chunks of the population in every province of the country are suddenly finding themselves either submerged in water, needing to be evacuated, or marooned in difficult and isolated places, needing food, shelter and medical treatment. Crops worth billions stand ruined; hundreds of thousands of houses pulled down by the raging waters; unaccounted for cattle dead or surrounded by water; the tale is endless. The Prime Minister related the countrys woes in his Independence Day nationwide address and urged the people to demonstrate the spirit that was in evidence 63 years ago when they welcomed, with an open heart, millions of refugees turned out of India. Under such circumstances, the setting up of a transparent body to deal with aid would send a positive message to the world, including the UN whose Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is visiting Pakistan. No doubt, the world is beset with economic recession, but the humanitarian spirit is not dead