The four-day document details a relief team's efforts in Tharparkar, Sindh province to address a drought. On day one, the team arrived in Karachi and had meetings with food suppliers and administrators. Day two involved traveling to Mitthi, Tharparkar and meeting with a local NGO to discuss the famine situation and logistics. Day three included meetings with the district commissioner, other NGOs, and affected communities to assess needs and coordinate relief efforts. The team also began identifying vulnerable families. Day four saw the division of tasks between finalizing food distribution and warehouse locations, and continuing to register vulnerable households in hard-hit areas.
The four-day document details a relief team's efforts in Tharparkar, Sindh province to address a drought. On day one, the team arrived in Karachi and had meetings with food suppliers and administrators. Day two involved traveling to Mitthi, Tharparkar and meeting with a local NGO to discuss the famine situation and logistics. Day three included meetings with the district commissioner, other NGOs, and affected communities to assess needs and coordinate relief efforts. The team also began identifying vulnerable families. Day four saw the division of tasks between finalizing food distribution and warehouse locations, and continuing to register vulnerable households in hard-hit areas.
The four-day document details a relief team's efforts in Tharparkar, Sindh province to address a drought. On day one, the team arrived in Karachi and had meetings with food suppliers and administrators. Day two involved traveling to Mitthi, Tharparkar and meeting with a local NGO to discuss the famine situation and logistics. Day three included meetings with the district commissioner, other NGOs, and affected communities to assess needs and coordinate relief efforts. The team also began identifying vulnerable families. Day four saw the division of tasks between finalizing food distribution and warehouse locations, and continuing to register vulnerable households in hard-hit areas.
The four-day document details a relief team's efforts in Tharparkar, Sindh province to address a drought. On day one, the team arrived in Karachi and had meetings with food suppliers and administrators. Day two involved traveling to Mitthi, Tharparkar and meeting with a local NGO to discuss the famine situation and logistics. Day three included meetings with the district commissioner, other NGOs, and affected communities to assess needs and coordinate relief efforts. The team also began identifying vulnerable families. Day four saw the division of tasks between finalizing food distribution and warehouse locations, and continuing to register vulnerable households in hard-hit areas.
Day 1: (22-03-2014) (Team Members: Dr Zahoor, Hassan Shah, Nasir Hussain & Saleemullah Baig) First day was arrival to Karachi from Islamabad, the flight was a bit late due to VIP air trafficking and we reached Karachi at around 2 pm.
My team has suggested that we send daily updates to core office and relevant people to keep all of us, including myself, up-to-date with whats happening in field. After reaching Karachi the meeting was done with Director Food & Beverages Mr. Waseem Baig in PC hotel Karachi where all the food packaging details and delivery modes were discussed. It was agreed that the final order will be placed after the local market survey of Mitthi, Tharparker. Whereas the quotation from PC hotel management will be shared on Monday, March 24, 2014. The second meeting was done with PC admin staff that includes Mr. Asif Ur Rehman & Mr. Atif Ahmed Khan. A very fruitful discussion was done and available clothing stuffs were shown, it was examined that available clothes includes childrens wearing, track suits & and simple trousers and the whole stuff consists of 72 cottons. It was agreed that the clothing material will be supplied to the affected areas when requested. After the meeting we moved towards hotel for next day planning and rest and thus concluded the first day in Karachi..until tomorrow. Day 2: (23-03-2014) Second day we moved from Karachi to Mitthi, Tharparkar, Sindh.
There was a call of strike from GIKSM (Nationalist Party) in Sindh on Sunday because of killing of their workers, so we reached our destination at 8:00 pm. After reaching Tharparker safely we met the Banhn Beli team at their Mitti office , where we met many of the people working there and we discussed the current famine and drought situation, current government and NGO response and logistics issues involved in the next few weeks. Specifically, issues regarding the identification of beneficiaries, food parcels, recruitment of health staff, hiring vehicle for mobile health unit, our transportation around the district as well as the issue of female health staff who can take care of MCH issues, which will be necessary in order for maternal and child care in remote villages.
The whole agenda on this relief initiative and proposal was discussed and Baan-Beli team was requested to help in field activities that include identification of vulnerable people and distribution of food packs. It was agreed that Baan-Beli team will assist us in field activities and all possible support will be provided. Day 3: (24-03-2014) Third day was started with meeting with DCO Tharparkar Mr. Imran Bhatti and other local government officials. It was expressed by the local administration that three Tehsils of the District Tharparker are severely affected by the famine and drought, those includes, Islamkot, Mitthi and Diplo, whereas government had distributed 50 kg wheat bags to approximately 259,000 families but still people lack basic food items. DCO requested HF team to work in the above said three highly affected Tehsils and to distribute food items to poor and vulnerable families. After the meeting with DCO a meeting with the team of Muslim Hands International was conducted to know their interventions and to analyze the existing gaps which could be fulfilled. It was analyzed that Muslim Hands International is working on food security issue of migrated people, whereas the people who are living in their houses are not in their domain. It was also advised by the Muslim Hands team that HF must focus on the far areas of three highly affected Tehsils instead of focusing the nearby areas which had already received from some NGOs. Another meeting was conducted with the staff members of Helping Hands and it was identified that they are working on safe water distribution and basic health units since 15 th of March. In this comprehensive meeting different ideas related to HF-Mobile Health Unit and food distribution were shared and it was also suggested by HF team that a cluster meeting of all working NGOs must be called, this will help to analyze that which areas needs more focus and which areas are still deprived with aid as well as who is doing what. Similarly from the meetings with governmental and non-governmental organizations it was suggested that HF must made his own Warehouse where food bags can be stored and that would also be declared as food distribution point, because it is very difficult to take the trucks to the local community areas as roads and infrastructure is not present and the population is very much scattered, so it was decided that food ration cards will be given to deserving and vulnerable people and they will be asked to collect food bags on a specific date from a specific place, that would be our warehouse. While the team was involved in meeting with governmental and nongovernmental officials Mr. Saleem was visiting the local markets to take quotations of food items which we are supposed to distribute by Sunday. Quotations from the local venders were collected and rates were compared. After the meeting with Helping Hand team along with the volunteer from Baan-Belli moved to the affected areas of Mitthi.
Focus group discussions were done to assess the basic problems and needs of people and it was evaluated that malnutrition is the main issue for the common people.
Many of them are currently suffering of severe food insecurity and further loss in their livestock due to fodder scarcity as most animal also died;
these are heartbreaking stories of children dying of malnutrition and infectious diseases and on and on.
Similarly our team moved door to door and examined the socio-economic situation of community and almost 50 vulnerable families were give food ration cards after filling their bio data form.
A focal person was assigned in the community and he was requested to communicate the decided date and venue, as decided by HF team, to those people who had received the food ration cards.
We left the Tehsil Islamkot field area as the sun was setting on the world largest desert and finally the team moved back to hotel and have a short meeting regarding next day agenda and tasks.
Day 4: (25-03-2014) Wait till night. 25-3-2014: (Day 4) Tuesday, March 25, 2014, a hot sunny day gave a new strength to the team. After the breakfast the team was divided into two groups, first group consisted me (Dr. Zahoor) and Mr. Saleem Baig whereas the second group includes Mr. Hassan Shah and Mr. Nasir Hussain. First group was supposed to meet with the local property dealers to identify and select the best suitable and feasiable place that can serve as warehouse and food distribution center for the beneficaries. Such place is needed that is safe according to security point of view and on the same side easily assessable to selected beneficaries to collect their food bags. Similarly the second agenda of first team incudes to finalize the most suitable vender/supplier after having a comparative price statement analysis. Second group was supposed to move to field to select the most affected and vulnerable people that are severly affected by the drought. As discussed in the early report, three Tehsils (Mitti, Islamkot and Diplo) are badly affected by drought and today team was suppose to focus on one Tehsil i.e. IslamKot which is 45 kilometer away from Mitti. On the same side this team had to identify, register and distribute the food cards to selected vulnerable community members.
Second team reached Tehsil Islamkot and with the help of a volunteer Mr. Cheetan we visited the two worse affected villages, that includes village Shehmir Vickya and Darailo Paro. After initial discussion with community elders the team moved door to door and assesed the condition of the villigers. During the course of time HF team observed some heart touching stories of poor and vulnerable people of the community.
Their socioeconomic conditions reflectes their disparity and backwardness, even in this 21 st centery they dont have access to basic needs of life like food, health facility, safe drinking water etc. Almost 120 vlunerable and poor households were identified and registered for food assiatnce .
While Hassan and Nasir were busy in the identification of vulnerable people me and Saleem examined the food samples, obtained final quotations from local venders of food and finally made the comparative statements of all quotations received from PC Karachi and two local venders.
That comparative price statement was shared with the higher management at core office and finally purchase order was issued by the respective department. After this key activity we met the local property dealers for the arrangement of warehouse.
Three buildings were visited and they were critically evaluated to ensure security and accessibility issues. Up till now the final place has not been finalized and tomorrow some more suitable buildings would be visited. We also observed that the recent displacement from remote areas of Tharparker has reached half million and 70% of them are children and 20% women and elderly (some men have stayed back to look after their elderly terminal ill patient or have already gone to other cities to work.) and the biggest concentration of migrated population is in district Badeen and district Nawabshah but they have also spread up to Hyderabad and Karachi.
The major accomplishment of today is that we manage to take some short heartbreaking stories with the help of volunteers to interpret for us these heart touching stories. This volunteer, Cheetan, helped translate for the team that put together the previous case histories, and is, therefore, very familiar with the culture, language and the villages we will be visiting.
Raai Chand a poor old man of 70 years age lost his six buffalos and twenty sheep in this drought. Last year due to the unavailability of basic health facilities he lost his young son and wife, both initially were suffering from high grade fever and malaria and ended in cerebral Malaria. Last week someone told him that government had sent relief trucks to nearby roads, when he visited the site he saw that it is not possible for him to get these goods in this rush and mismanagement so he decided to come back. When HF team visited his home and he was persuaded that he will get food without humiliation then he was very happy and a ray of hope emerged on his face.
Cattle and livestock is the main source of survival for the Thar people, but after the drought the cattle had been severely affected and most of the people are now living a miserable life. An old women Ranno lost all of her cattles in drought, these were the main source of survival for her as she use to sell the milk of her goats and cows. Raano is also raising the family of her widow daughter and after the loss of cattle she had now started stitching the handmade bed sheets. It takes almost a week to stitch one bed sheet from hand whereas the wage is only five hundred which is very meager to run such a huge family. HF team provided him the food ration card which will be helpful in mitigating her sorrows and worries.
People of Tharparker are facing serious food insecurity and health issues. Maai Jothoo is suffering from muskeloskeltal problems and muscle wasting from the last 2 years and now she has also developed muscular dystrophy and she is unable to do anything, but due to unavailability of health facilities she is living a miserable life. Muscle wasting is one of the worst indicators of severe malnutrition in which body muscles are damaged. Her son, a father of eight children, is a poor daily wager and he is unable to finance the costly health services. According to medical science Muscle wasting is the worse condition of malnutrition and in this disease body muscles cramps, aches and patient is unable to move. Finally almost 120 vulnerable beneficiary families were identified by the team and food rations cards were given to those identified families. Volunteers also played a commendable role in this whole process and they served as communication and other facilitating factor for the HF team. On the same side team is in search of safe, secure and accessible warehouse to store the food parcels and to make that place as food distribution point. Following the 120 registrations of family and some detailed interviews the team felt too drained and exhausted but at the same time they were thrilled and excited that shortly these vulnerable families would be getting relief from HF emergency relief and the process of registering the families will be continue in next two days. Together we make a difference To be continued
26-3-2014: (Day 5) Temperature in Thar Desert is increasing day by day along with the enthusiasm of HF relief team. Another bright sunny day was started with an internal meeting and agenda point was discussed. We had a quick overview of our targets and goals and briefly discussed the plan and after that headed out for field. Team members were agreed to be the same as yesterday. The first team that includes me and Saleem was supposed to visit the surrounding areas for the selection of suitable and accessible warehouse, on the same side team has to take the quotations for the HF Mobile Health Unit (MHU) and ambulances. Similarly the second team that consists of Hassan and Nasir was supposed to move in field to identify the poor and vulnerable people, for this Tehsil Diplo was selected which is badly affected by the drought and infectious diseases and it is approximately 70 Km away from Tehsil Mitthi.
First of all village Khenroi of Tehsil Diplo was visited by the second team. In meetings with governmental and nongovernmental organizations it was evident that Tehsil Diplo is worst affected by the present drought and in ground it was personally observed by HF team. Many miserable and heart-touching cases were seen and it was made sure that no deprived and vulnerable family is left without food ration card. Door to door assessment was done by the HF team and people were inquired about their needs, problems, common prevailing communicable and non communicable diseases and animal morbidities and causalities. It was assessed that a huge portion of the population is heavily affected, epidemics of infectious diseases had causes losses of precious human life and on the same side livestock (cattle) which is the main bread and butter of these poor people, is also profoundly affected. Most of the people are spending miserable life and they even dont have the basic food to eat. After detailed assessment, food ration cards were issued to every deserving and most affected family head after filling detailed bio data form by HF team. When Hassan and Nasir with support of volunteers were busy in identification of vulnerable and poor people of affected areas, I and Saleem had a coordination meeting with all NGOs working in Tharparkar district. As I mentioned in day 2 daily update report that we tossed the idea of having a cluster meeting in Tharparkar where all the stakeholders sit on one table and discuss the current situation and plan of action. In pursuance of this idea we had a meeting with representative of PDMA Sindh, Al-Mustafa Welfare Society, Helping Hands, Falah Insaniat Foundation, Pakistan Rangers and Muslim Hands this morning. We discussed the situation of the Tharparkar affectees and their current dire needs. We also informed them that HF is in the process of setting up a base camp/warehouse in Tehsil Mitti and our focus is on helping the most vulnerable food insecure population and malnourished women and children immediately with food ration and mobile health interventions. The PDMA is willing to work with us but after they have declare it emergency but there is some political vested interest. The current situation we discussed is follow, Many poor Thari families were moving to barrage areas, along with their livestock. The recent displacement from remote areas of Tharparker has reached half million and 70% of them are children and 20% women and elderly (some men have stayed back to look after their elderly terminal patient or have already gone to other cities to work.) The biggest concentration of migrated population is in Badeen and Nawabshah but they have spread up to Karachi. There is no registration process started by provincial Ministry of Social Welfare. Some organizations are providing uncooked food on per month per family basis in main Mitti city without any survey in remote villages and other organizations like Muslim Hands International and Al-Mustafa Welfare Society has established a central kitchen where food is cooked and distributed in migrated population. Harsh weather conditions and the temperature goes up with every passing day Immediate needs identified during the discussion Food Parcels MCH services & Medicines Animal Fodder Clothing Water & Hygiene kits Long term needs identified Education Health Livelihood projects(Livestock/Honeybee farming projects) Skill enhancement/trainings Water Sector
Jamna an old emaciated women, explaining her condition to the HF team
Focus group discussions (FGD) and door to door visits of village remained the core essence of field activity. At first we felt somewhat uncertain about how to approach this deprived community members for FGD, but their smiles, humble gestures and contented behavior invited us with no hesitation. We conversed with community elders for about one hour about so many various topics that we did not even notice at the time of commencement were also brought into light.
Dhepeka, a cute little doll of age 2. During the FGDs the people of the community were smartly provoked and their needs and problems were identified. This helped the team to identify and analyze the socioeconomic and demographic condition of that community. Different question were asked to the community members in a very interactive way and very prompt and positive replies were noted. The first priority that was identified is to obtain the food ration and water to mitigate hunger and malnutrition. The next two greatest assistance needs are securing access to clean drinking water and access to basic health services and livestock saving interventions. The Respondents also identified treatment for acute illnesses, followed by child health care and care for chronic illnesses as their top health priorities.
District Tharparker had highly affected by the drought and after media coverage to this sensitive issue many governmental and nongovernmental organizations sent their relief fleets to facilitate Thar destitute people. But it is noticed that those relief fleets concentrated their services to main cities or the areas which are connected with main road and far-flung areas were seriously ignored, although those were highly affected. Realizing this reality, and proving the real meaning of Tharparkar (Thar means sand region and Parkar means "to cross over), HF team decided to move into desert and planned to reach those areas that are out of access for normal car, truck or local transport. For this reason a Potohar Jeep was hired and team moved towards Village Arjak, which is about 30 Km inside desert from Diplo city.
People of Village Arjak even havent received wheat from government and this is the most deprived community of district Tharparkar. After traveling about an hour HF team reached Arjak village and after the visit of village it was evaluated that this area received no rain, except a little drizzle in the beginning of the current season. Almost all reservoirs have dried up and Arjak is facing a famine-like situation, causing severe shortage of food, resulting in malnutrition, diseases and death and children and pregnant women are affected the most.
In the last HF team moved village Sabrhi which is the residence of Kohli Hindu tribe. People belonging to Kholi tribe are traditionally regarded as untouchable and they are also among the most vulnerable segment of society and they are also badly affected by the drought. People are living miserable life and they dont have basic resources for survival. The main source of their income is cattle grazing and daily waging. HF team visited the whole village and identified the most affected people of this community and food ration cards were distributed. It was observed that provision of this food items would be a great supporting factor for this deprived community and it will also help them to ease their household budgetary issues. Below is the summary of our 3 days work at field, Summary of Identified Families up till 26 th March 26, 2014 Date No of families Villages Tehsil District Distance from Mithi 24-03-2014 50 Baraj Mithi Tharparkar 32 km 25-03-2014 120 Shehmir Vickya and Darailo Paro Islamkot Tharparkar 45 km 26-3-2014 130 Khenroi, Arjakh and Sabhri Diplo Tharparkar 70 km
By the time we were done, it was night time and we had to leave for Tesil Mithi. In another 1 hours of Sandy/Windy/Bumpy jeep driving and talking about scary stories of snacks and reptiles in the Tharparkar desert and inspired by the dark sandy dooms of surroundings, we safely reached at Tharparkar guest house at 9:00 pm. And sorry for the long update ... I promise tomorrows will be shorter! Together we make a difference