Lasbela is experiencing its worst floods in history, with thousands of people left behind in search of rescue and help. Lasbela has been cut off from the outside world for the previous many weeks again and again, both by road and by phone. It is taking government rescue organizations longer to reach and rescue people trapped in floodwaters. With the country’s crumbling economy and weak infrastructure and governance issues in Balochistan, we are fearful of hundreds of families falling further into below the poverty line and more challenging situations.
Bela tehsil in Lasbela district is particularly hard hit. Where water pouring into the main Porali river shifted its course from the regular river channel towards the east side of Bela, where some of Lasbela’s largest rural population is concentrated, with the floods there has been continuous rains for past 5 weeks. The flood has wrecked the district’s infrastructure, washing away ready cotton crops, livestock, solar-powered drilling machines, and causing land to be disturbed. The river has taken away the only source of income for hundreds of households in Lasbela’s east side community. According to our assessment, 74 percent of the population has lost their homes because most of these structures are composed of mud and have been shaken by persistent rains and rising water levels.
Hundreds of villagers in Bela are now suffering and in desperate need of assistance. The main road connecting Lasbela to the rest of the world has been swept away at eight different locations. A temporary route has been built, but with more rain seasons coming shortly, the road may become blocked again in the following days.
Our data analysis indicates that if immediate relief and rehabilitation steps are not performed, hundreds of families would slip into lifetime poverty because their source of income has been disrupted, leaving them resourceless and roofless. More long-term solutions are needed for Lasbela inhabitants’ alleviation and recovery.
WANG has been assisting and assessing rescue agencies giving immediate assistance to flood-affected areas through its active volunteer network throughout the district. Our initial course of action was to draw local and global organizations’ attention to rescue and relief efforts, which we were successful in doing through our active participation in digital media and traditional media platforms.
Here are the six ways you can help.
Six ways you can help #BalochistanFloods affected communities.
1.Donate to the fundraiser from Pakistan Click here. If you are donating outside Pakistan (international) Click here
2.Share our fundraising call with your friends and family – Click here
3.Share our call for collaborative action with your organization or company – Click here
4. Like our social media pages and re-share or re-tweet our post. Click here
5. Host a fundraiser in your community/school/company – Poster here
6. Be a virtual volunteer, help us to amplify the message. Click here
