Stuck Between Crisis and Emergency: Pakistan flounders six months on from devastating floods

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2 min read

This week on The New Arab Voice we're joined by journalist Ali Abbas Ahmadi (@AliAbbasAhmadi2) to examine the deadly floods that hit Pakistan six months ago. 

The rains started to fall in June and would not stop until August, during which time, the might Indus River would flood, spreading devastation; particularly in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.

The floods killed 1,700 people and left tens of millions of Pakistanis homeless. The flood waters would also wash aways the livelihoods  of millions; laying waste to farms, killing livestock, and destroying stores of grain and seeds.

This week, we speak with one of the farmers who lost their land and livelihood, and ask what are the major challenges facing those affected? How has Pakistan dealt with food shortages, and how has the political instability added to the failure to provide support?

We speak with Dr Zaffar Mahmood (@DrZaffarMehmoo1), an independent expert on food safety and food security, who has worked as a consultant with the Pakistani government and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. And Marvin Pervez, the regional director of an NGO called Community World Service Asia (@communitywsasia). Him and his team work with people on the ground in Pakistan.

 

This podcast is written by Ali Abbas Ahmadi and produced by Hugo Goodridge.

Theme music by Omar al-Fil. 

Other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TheNewArabVoice or email hugo.goodridge@newarab.com