Giving evidence before one of the country's senate standing committees, health secretary Khushnood Lashari stunned the members of the committee by stating that the airbase at Jacobabad in Sindh province is controlled by US forces and therefore is not available for desperately needed relief work.
"Health relief operations are not possible in the flood-affected areas of Jacobabad because the airbase is with the United States," he said.
Earlier, Doctor Jahanzeb Aurakzai, coordinator of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Centre, said, "Foreign health teams could not start relief operations in remote areas because there are no airstrips close to several areas, including Jacobabad."
Jacobabad’s people have been hit by devastating floods. Around 700,000 have been affected. The airbase could have been used to save lives.
The Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad was leased to the US by former Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf.
It is used for raids on Afghanistan and to launch drone attacks that have killed hundreds of Pakistanis.
When the floods first struck the authorities deliberately diverted water away form the base, making thousands of people homeless.
The Pakistan army diverted the torrent away from the base to towns in Balochistan including Osata Muhammad, Dera Allahyar, Jaffarabad and Gandawa.
However, continuing rains and divisions in the ruling class mean that water was then allowed to flood Jacobabad (and even to threaten the Shahbaz air base) in order to save the Guddu barrage which is used to irrigate 2.9 million acres of important agricultural areas.
Meanwhile in many areas of Pakistan local landlords have also breached canals and diverted floodwater to populated areas to save their crops.
The system of dams and irrigation that has been greatly to the benefit of the big landlords—but not the small farmer—has now concentrated huge power in the hands of the state and the military.
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=22199
Several Gandakha villages inundated
QUETTA: A fresh torrent of 80,000 cusecs entered Jaffarabad on Thursday after breaches were made in a dyke while floodwaters from Saifullah Magsi canal inundated several villages in Gandakha tehsil.
Sources said that the floodwater started moving towards Gandakha town as Saifullah Magsi canal developed breaches at three places. The town was evacuated after reports about breaches in the canal.
Six villages in Gandakha were completely submerged, Hayat Jamali, a resident of the area, told Dawn. The affected villages are: Goth Ghulam Mohammad, Goth Doda Kahn Sayal, Choki Jamali, Goth Gul Mohammad Jamali, Faizal Faqir and Goth Sattar Shah.
The fresh flooding in Jaffarabad aggravated the misery of thousands of displaced people from Sindh and Balochistan who could not reach safe places and had taken refuge near Pat feeder canal and other high places.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/several-gandakha-villages-inundated-080
Seven flood victims die of gastro in Balochistan
SIBI: Seven people, including a 4-year-old girl died of gastroenteritis in Balochistan on Thursday. The number of those suffering from the stomach ailment in the province has risen to 600. Five flood victims died in Sibi. The deceased were identified as Ismail, Iqbal, Nisar Bibi, Musa Khan and a 4-year-old girl. Dozens of infected patients are being brought to Sibi Civil Hospital. The disease was spreading fast in Sibi, Bakhtiarabad, Dhadar and Dera Murad Jamali. Meanwhile, at least two people died while dozens of others were hospitalised after gastro outbreak in Kharan. Medical superintendent of the district hospital Dr Anwar Baloch told media persons that gastro outbreak has been reported from some parts of the district. He said that several affected people have been hospitalised and are being provided necessary medical treatment.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\20\story_20-8-2010_pg1_8
http://www.balochwarna.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2807
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