“I am not unhappy about the loss of my house, I am unhappy about the loss of my brother. “
The words of Usman , 18, are a reminder that this disaster has claimed so much more than roads, bridges and homes – it has claimed mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Usman’s older brother, Javaid, lost his life in the floods as they swept through the Swat Valley in late July. Javaid died saving a child from their village.
Usman is sitting in a field in the village of Fatehpur in Swat. He has walked for over three hours to reach CARE’s distribution point where he has received a tent and other essential items. He sits, with his goods, exhausted from his long journey but also exhausted by grief. This is the first time Usman, or anyone from his family, has received any help. Roads and bridges in Swat have been damaged or totally destroyed, leaving many villages completely cut off. In order to provide assistance, aid groups have to carry supplies overland, and people, like Usman, travel to receive the relief supplies.
Usman, with tears in his eyes talks about the floods.
“The floods came in the night and by morning I had seen our house collapse and my brother drown. This has ruined my family. I have 36 family members all now depending on me and my older brother. I want a job - I am desperate. I was studying; I wanted to be a doctor but now I have to get a job. I have a big family – the responsibility is on me.”
Sayaad was one of 93 families who received a tent and other essentials such as soap, towels, cooking pots and dishes and from CARE – this was the first help any of them had received. The challenges of reaching affected people in Swat highlights the enormity of the disaster that has devastated Pakistan. While millions of people have received assistance, the scale of the disaster, and the huge areas affected, means many more are only now receving relief supplies.
