Floods in Pakistan
Winter survived, thanks to financial support 

 

The floods which quite literally inundated Pakistan in summer 2010 were the greatest natural disaster in the country's history. The flood-hit area stretched 1,500 km along the Indus and its tributaries. In October 2010, the SDC launched a cash project in the Swat Valley to provide the homeless with shelter over the winter months. Around 800 received interim cash payments to enable them get through the winter.

The incessant monsoon rains that Pakistan experienced for days on end throughout July and August 2010 triggered devastating floods. Around one fifth of the country and over 20 million people were affected, and 1700 lost their lives. According to UN estimates around 14 million people were dependent on humanitarian aid at the highpoint of the floods. Following on from the provision of emergency relief, which lasted until October, SDC projects focused on helping people survive the winter.

Two metres of snow and no roof over their heads

In winter in northern Pakistan temperatures fall far below zero, and the ground is covered by one to two metres of snow. In the Swat valley in the north-west of the country, an area particularly hard hit by the floods, many people were still forced to live in tents or other emergency accommodation in October 2010. To help selected families, who had lost everything, get through the winter the SDC launched a cash project.

Important help for widows and single mothers

Initially village meetings were used as a forum to find out who was most in need of help. In accordance with the criteria set families whose only home had been completely destroyed were given support. Priority was given to widows and single mothers. The SDC paid out 60,000 rupees (650 Swiss francs) to each of the 829 families, which amounts to more than a year's wages in the Swat Valley. The recipients used the money to build winterproof accommodation, buy firewood, stoves and ovens for heating and cooking, warm blankets, clothes, shoes and medicine.

Distribution of cheques in Shinko and Bela.

Short-term help with a long-term effect

Thanks to this interim financial assistance it was possible for the recipients to carry on with the normal day-to-day ctivitiesto secure their existence. If they had been forced to devote all their energy to guaranteeing survival in the face of the approaching winter, their sources of long-term income would have dried up. The result would have been increased dependence on external aid over the longer term. There was also the danger that victims of the disaster would have sold land at low market prices in order to rescue themselves from the winter cold.

Consultation and transparency

Distributing money is not without its problems. It was a basic tenet of the cash project that the village community should be closely involved. They know each other well and the social controls function. The lists of recipients drawn up by the SDC and its local partners was discussed at village meetings. Consequently, a transparent list was available showing those who needed help most of all.