The fate of a Pakistani family

Written by photographer Benno Neeleman, Larkana, 11 September 2010:

The family (pictured) used to live in the village of Khero which is approximately a two-and-a-half hour drive from Larkana town. It was in the beginning of August that the family (father, mother and eight children) were totally surprised by the rapidly rising water level in a small river near their village.During the night, at around 1am, the family had no other choice than to run.

During the drama a daughter, eight years old, fell down and the rising water grabbed her. Sadly, she drowned. They then ran to higher ground where the family saw that another child was missing. Up till now the mother does not know what happened to her child. Their little house was taken by the water and so were their six cows and four adult goats. All what was left were the clothes they were wearing, some identification cards and four young goats, that the family could take under their arms.

For two days the family found refuge under a tree along a main road near their village together with other villagers. Then they were picked up by army personnel that brought them to a small camp outside Larkana.

The population of this camp started to grow and soon the facilties in the camp weren’t suitable for all people. That is why the Pakistan army set up a new camp in the neighbourhood. That camp is called SOS Camp, because it was SOS Children's Villages Pakistan, amongst others, that provided 77 brand new tents for the displaced people. The camp now provides shelter to 2,630 people.

Mother Nazira is not very positive about her future. "We’ve lost everything, how do we survive when nothing is left?" It is a real challenge for aid organisations to help these people to meet all their needs and help their lives get back to some form of normalcy.

Until then the family of eight has to live in a small tent without any source of income, fully dependant on aid given by both local and international NGOs.

Shouked has to cry every now and then. He is missing his sister who died during the flood. He says that he is very afraid of water since the floods had reached their village. He wants to go back to school and meet with his friends. He has no idea what became of them, he hopes they are ok.

SOS Relief Programme: Provision of Aid

We have now distributed 12,650 food packages for families affected by the flooding, this represents over 2 million meals.  The target is still to provide 100,000 food packages.

Each of the packages contain wheat flour, lentils, rice, cooking oil, sugar, tea, milk powder, salt, chilli powder, washing soap, toilet soap, candles and matches. They cost just £13 each and will feed one family of 6-8 persons for ten days.

Other than food packages, we continue to distribute tents and medical items where we can.

After the first shipment of 500 tents went to Shahdadkot Sindh, another 500 have been sent to Balochistan through the Coast Guards and 500 to Dadu, Sindh. These had previously been allocated for Kalam, Swat but were re-allocated to Dadu in Sindh where the need was more urgent. This is the area which is now under threat.

Please donate to our Pakistan Flood Appeal

	A mother cooks, with tents in the background
	Children standing by their tent
	A father and his child asleep in their tent
	Children pose in front of their tent

Please donate to our Pakistan Flood Appeal