Cure, going beyond Care
By Ehtisham Iqbal

OCTOBER 8, 2005 struck as the worst national tragedy the people of Pakistan ever dreamt about. There were volunteers and so were there the disaster tourists.

Everyone did accordingly to his or her mental capabilities. Physical efforts, monetary efforts were seen as never before. We stood united in the hour of need and so did the world stand with us.

Some nations stood up on their feet, some kneeled and some slept but the idea that comes to my mind that kept me awake for nights is ‘I never know when it happens again and with us’ reading this piece.

When UN says it is a historical disaster world could ever see, the history is not always meant to repeat itself. History can be re-written, history can be a lesson for the future and so can history be our teacher.

Correct numbers are still hiking and so are the people involved in the rescue operations. In contrast, one month after last December's Tsunami, $4 billion had rolled in, just a comparison. Aren’t these Worlds double standards? Can we all just relax by our donations so far or we also have ever thought to nip the bud for any such catastrophe in the future?

Developing countries such as Pakistan do not have sufficient resources, expertise or the capacity that is required to deal with large-scale and unprecedented calamities such as this. In a country where 65.6% of the population lives on under $2 a day, the problems of the poor living in villages are further compounded when they lose the shelter that at least helped them survive through the rough winter.

This is in addition to dealing with the trauma of having lost their families and all their belongings. It would not be an exaggeration to state that the devastation caused by the Oct. 8 earthquake has no parallel in the history of Pakistan or probably the smaller world.

The loss of lives has exceeded our worst fears while the economic impact has been immense in magnitude. Entire towns have been completely wiped out and the infrastructure totally destroyed.

The international community needs to play a more active role by not just donating funds for relief efforts but also helping Pakistan in the reconstruction and redevelopment process that has to follow the relief efforts. Announcements now needs actions. It is the rehabilitation that catches my attention more than anything else.

Can these people forever live in the tent setups across Islamabad, does the orphans only survive the orphanages, does someone thinks about the girls who were seen by none other than their family now sitting with their uncovered heads?

After all, this is not just about providing tents and warm clothing to people at the moment. It is also about rehabilitating thousands of people (many of whom are orphans) and rebuilding schools, hospitals, and infrastructure in those regions in the long term.

Carrying a swagger stick and wearing a baseball cap is not just what is needed, we all now have a moral and social responsibility to go beyond this. There’s no wonder we’re all trying our best but let us all try to go a further mile.

I think there are many more reasons which the country has to consider, Yes, there is still a long way to go before any semblance of normality is restored to the region.●

© 2005 Ehtisham Iqbal