21 Faces of The Pakistan Flood
UPDATE: How to Ensure that Your Help Actually Reaches the Pakistan Flood Victims.
This time I am not going to say much. I don’t feel like it.
I am sad, anxious, worried and hopeful at the same time.
I am sad for the devastation that happened. The sheer magnitude of which I have not seen in my life. Not even when Tsunami came in 2004. This time it is even bigger.
Imagine 3 Scotlands drowning and its population stranded among rising waters, which destroyed the houses, shops, bridges, roads, in short everything that those people had going for them.
Imagine 20 Million (and counting) HUMAN BEINGS without food and clean water, getting hungrier and sicker with every minute that passes.
Imagine 44 people of a single family drowning under the first wave of water that caught them in the middle of the night.
Imagine a mother watching her 3 little daughters drowning in front of her eyes with heartbreaking helplessness, unable to save even one of them.
Imagine miles upon miles of rubbish, that were once villages and towns, where people lived and dreamed and hoped.
Imagine 1 human being dying every 30 minutes just because we are unable to help.
Imagine rampant diseases and the smell and hopelessness of dying bodies.
Imagine mud-covered bodies lying all around, waiting to be buried.
Imagine children who were saved, waiting for their Moms and Dads who never came.
Imagine parents who are alive, searching for their dead children.
Imagine the houses falling on the very people who made them.
Imagine farmers looking at millions of square kilometers under water, where once stood their flourishing crops.
Imagine children looking at their mothers, crying and asking for a sip of water.
Imagine wives looking at their husbands, and not saying anything because they know, there is nothing that they can give them.
Imagine fathers drowning to save their sons and daughters from the crashing waves.
Imagine sons and daughters, asking their parents to board the navy boats and save themselves first, even knowing that the boats may come again too late.
And imagine that the second wave is coming. The first one is just halfway and the second one has started. The estimate is that around 30 Million people will be displaced. 30 Million People. That is more than the population of many countries in the world.
Now look at these faces of the flood and then I’ll ask you a question and tell you why i am hopeful
1. Water, Water, Everywhere!
2. Where to Go Now?
3. How to Save the Bed and Themselves?
4. Finally, Leaving the Roof Behind.
5. Can He Save Anything Else?
6. The City That Was!
7. Where to?
8. Still Waiting for the Rescue…
9. Waiting in Line for the Food.
10. How Many Can They Save?
11. Homes Where People Once Lived…
12. How to Feed Them All?
13. Here the Rescuers Need to be Rescued.
14. The Paralyzed City.
15. A Temporary Home!
16. Save Our Souls!
17. This is What is Left Behind.
18. Moving with the Whole Town.
19. When Will the Helicopters Come?
20. Till Someone Comes to Rescue Us, Lets Share with Each Other What Little We Have to Eat.
21. Please, Don’t Leave Us Behind…
Now that you know the magnitude of the devastation and have seen the visuals of the destruction, I want to ask you a simple question.
Will You Help?
I leave the answer to you because I am hopeful, like I said in the beginning of this post. And the reason for being hopeful is that I believe you will help, in whatever way you can. I believe in the goodness of the human soul. I believe in YOU.
HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP
I am giving you the most trustable source that can direct your help in cash and kind to the people who need it the most. And please bear in mind that they need it URGENTLY. Even a single cent would help, so just do what you can, with an open heart.
Please donate to AAJ RELIEF
And while you are doing so, never for a single moment think, that you are helping some flood victims, living in a far away land, unknown to you. Just know that you are helping yourself. Because, in the final analysis, we are all connected to each other, we are all one!
You may not have even a single dollar for the flood victims, but at least you can spread the message around. That won’t cost a penny and that is the least you can do. Please spread this message on Social Networking Sites like Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Digg and Stumbleupon etc.
I’ll be personally grateful to you for this kind gesture.
UPDATE: How to Ensure that Your Help Actually Reaches the Pakistan Flood Victims.
Photo Credits: AFP and Reuters
SHARING IS CARING
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Abubakar,
You do not have to say anything, the pictures says million things. I too am at loss of words and filled with sadness. I hope everyone gets to safety and on ground. My prayers are with them all, my deep from my heart!
Thanks for this post. I have shared it on my Facebook page.
Thanks for the links – you've made it really easy for me to help. I don't watch TV so I just found out about this today.
Extreme weather like this is getting worse as climate change worsens. And eating meat is the largest contributer to climate change. We have the power to stop events like this from reoccurring so quitting meat, fish and dairy is the best thing anyone can do right now, along with helping out those who need it today.
We cut so many trees to graze and feed animals – the planet can no longer regulate it's own carbon levels. And the methane released by the animals is a fast acting climate agent that's literally overpowering the atmosphere and driving it quickly to the point of no return.
Your post gave me the chills. The people that are victims are in my prayers……I don't know what else to say
Thank you for this post. I can only speculate why the news coverage of this inconceivable disaster is getting so little news coverage in the US, compared to the coverage for the earthquake in Haiti for example. Today I heard there are 20 million people affected by these floods in Pakistan, a number I can't really comprehend. I am thankful Abubakar that you are okay and able to keep us informed. I hope the world will take notice and send immediate support. I notice you didn't list the International Red Cross. Is there a reason for that?
Abu,
one reason why my husband keeps on telling me to follow the news either on newspapers or television is to be aware of whats happening all around the world. I bluntly refuse many times to do so, because most of the news is devastating related to natural calamities or people being killed for most crimes they did not commit. Very few get justice who are wronged in this world. I had seen the news of the floods on tv however. I have posted this on the wall of my profile in FB. May God help people to be more understanding in helping the needy. Thats my ultimate prayer.
i pray to god to save the helpless innocent people , childerns , and all as early as you can .
i pray humanity will be united to help for recovery and be on Pakistani's side on these difficult days. May Allah help Pakistan and grow them stronger.
Hi Abubakar. I was very moved by your article and have shared it on my facebook page. We are all one indeed..no matter our religious affiliation. Compassion for our fellow man means a shared sense of suffering. Our prayers, compassion and strength join with yours.
Abubakar, During this month of Ramadan where every second of every day is a struggle, a struggle where one needs to be steadfast in their fast, steadfast in their prayers, steadfast in avoiding any such activity which is deemed forbidden – Allah has truly testing the nation of Pakistan during this month. Pakistan needs to be rebuilt again, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Abubakar,
God help everybody. My prayers are with them.
Abubakar, these pictures are heart wrenching to say the least….I had goosepimples…
I am in literally in tears looking at the plight of the children from my neighbour country. I will donate what I can and will pray every day from the bottom of my heart to bring back some sanity in the lives of these people torn apart from their land and homes….
I have been reading in newspapers here about this catastrophe. But, now is the time to act and share some love, compassion and prayers…
On another note, I came across your blog today and really like the thoughts you share. I have subscribed to your blog.
This is a truly powerful post, Abubakar. And this is such a vulnerable time, not just for the population of Pakistan who are affected but also for humanity in general. When will we see that suffering is also our suffering? When will we know that their loss is also our loss? When will we wake up to the truth that we all are one, separated by oceans and boundaries too small to eclipse the fact that we are more alike than unalike.
Thank you for this post.
Great post and good reminder to us all about the world we live in. I am also moved by reading this and Imagining all these are a bit upsetting. We are all one is very powerful!
Abubakar, It is very sad to see the plight of Pakistani people. I have intended to give part of my zakat for this cause. However, I am not able to find a link in AAJ Relief thro which I can send the money. I see couple of pakistani bank accounts there but I live in India and I am not sure if my bank will support International transfers online. Is there any payment gateways thro which I can send the money that supports international wire transfers online. Please advise.
Jazakhallah
Finally I’ve read and seen the pictures…am at a loss for words. But some two weeks ago perhaps late?) I’ve sent some money to Doctors without frontiers and also to the Red Cross here in Belgium. Just hope that this will be of some assistance to the people who are struggling to live and/or their children.
I was shocked to read in the Economist that Pakistan was contemplating on accepting aid from India. This is not a time to bear grudge on a neighbouring country willing to help.
Yes I’m also surprised that there has been very little response from other countries. One cannot and may not tarnish a country when there are some who have gone astray.
Anne from Belgium
We all are praying for the victims to be helped and life there gets back to normal. Allah is merciful and surely AID will be dea from relevant sources which Allah has planned. From Fiji Islands, May life be normal there soon for all affected residence. Our prayers are with u all
Well done Abubakar you really picture the true phase of the flood affectees. I am very impressed.
Thank you Sir for your support.
Dear Abubakar,
We are organising an event to raise money to help these people. Will it be possible to use a couple of these pictures for the posters and tickets of this event? We would also like to do a presentation and we feel that these pictures have and will touch the hearts of many people. We would really appreciate it.
thank you
Marika
Marika,
These are AFP and Reuters photos. So please use them with due credit to those organizations.
The Pakistan flooding was devastating and unbareable to acknowledge. I say a prayer to Allah for all those, in need of help and all the people that have lost loved one’s, families, friends, homes and everything that was their life. I pray that they have the faith to maintain strong and to keep there soul going to live the next day and every other day after that. I that things get better and all those people suffering in Pakistan are protected and there lifes get better, inshallah. x
Pamela,
Thank you for all your prayers and comment. Amen!
A great post – but look around and see how soon we have forgotten these poor people. I have been writing in my blog about these people time and again, but I generally find people to have forgotten these people who are still in tents awaiting our help.