The problem of floods in Pakistan is not new as it dates back to the year of independence 1947 when the first major flood hit Pakistan. Since then eight more floods of even greater magnitude in 1954, 1970, 1988, 1992, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2010 have caused heaps of destruction in the country taking the lives of millions of people and leaving billions of them homeless. However the latest flood in 2010 was the most devastating which damaged the infrastructure and economy of the country.
The main reason for the 2011 floods was the heavy monsoon rainfall in all four provinces of the country. The severity of the flood could be determined by the fact that one-fifth of Pakistan’s total land area was underwater. The floods took the lives of more than 2000 people and had a direct impact on the lives of 20 million other people by wiping out their property, livelihood and infrastructure.
With the country already facing power shortages, the floods added to the misery as 10000 transmission lines and transformers were crushed resulting in an approximate power shortage of 3.135 Gigawatts. The floods also had an adverse impact on the health of the population in the flood affected areas spreading diseases like gastroenteritis, diarrhea and various other skin diseases. In view of the disastrous floods, the President of Pakistan Mr. Asif Ali Zardari ordered that there would be no grand celebrations on the 14th of August.
While the social impact of the floods was tremendous, the economic impact of it on the country was no less. According to the International Labour Organization about 5.3 million people lost their jobs as an aftermath of the flood. The floods affected many agricultural farms in the country destroying crops which further had a negative impact on other related industries like the Textile manufacturing industry which already was under severe financial and economic troubles. The growth rate of the country was expected to fall from the expected 4% to -2%.
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It is in times of calamity that a country realizes who their real friends from across the border are. The relief aid was substantial from foreign countries. The worldwide donations were approximately $687 million and $324 million were guaranteed in uncommitted assurances. The spirit of the locals of the country was astounding as each individual stepped forward to help his fellow citizens in times of need. Contributions by people were collected by Eidhi, Imran Khan and various NGOs. The floods received extensive media coverage due to which many of the celebrities also got forward to help collect funds for the flood relief. Various programs were aired on channels like Geo, ARY, etc in which celebrities from the showbiz and sports appealed for contributions.
Although the floods in Pakistan bought high volumes of devastation for the country it also lightened up a spirit of patriotism and humanity in the people. While terrorism and crime rate were at the peak and people were scared to get out of their homes, this disastrous situation allowed them to forget all their fears and come forward to help the country in times of desperate need.