Disasters

Focus: Floods in Pakistan

Flooding caused by monsoon rains has wreaked havoc on Pakistan for two months now, affecting one fifth of the country's area and 20 million people. Relief aid is slowly reaching the worst-affected areas. Yet tens of thousands have still not received much help.

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Very little support for flood victims in Punjab

Hundreds of families have come back to their destroyed villages in Punjab. Many are living without shelter and there are food and medicine shortages. Skin disease and malaria are spreading. (29.09.2010)

Pakistani volunteers bring relief to flood victims

Islamabad would prefer to be the sole channel for international flood aid but that might not be a good idea for the victims. Thomas Baerthlein talked to victims and volunteers in Jamshoro District near Hyderabad (Sindh). (24.09.2010)

German Red Cross brings clean water to Pakistan

There are lots of Germans in Pakistan's flood-affected regions, taking part in the relief efforts and often working in very difficult conditions. One German Red Cross team in Sindh is providing clean drinking water. (22.09.2010)

Pakistani Islamist groups very visible in the flood-affected regions

Although the Taliban will not benefit from the floods, as the army will not allow them to operate openly, other groups with closer links to the military have been very visible in the flood-affected regions. (20.09.2010)

UN makes record appeal for aid for Pakistan

The United Nations made its largest disaster appeal ever on Friday, requesting a total of some $2 billion (1.5 billion euros) for Pakistan where floods continue to devastate the country. (18.09.2010)

Floods in Pakistan may destabilize the political situation

Many Pakistanis say their government’s reaction to the disastrous floods has been ineffective. The politicians are serving their own interests by protecting their own lands, pocketing aid money and helping supporters. (13.09.2010)

Eid in Pakistan's Nowshera

In Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, people celebrated Eid, the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, on Friday. But those who lost everything in the floods have little to be happy about. (10.09.2010)

Caste and religion create barriers in Sindh

In Pakistan's Sindh province, many complain of not getting aid from the government, including the country's Hindus. The lower castes are particularly affected since the upper castes also deny them food and shelter. (09.09.2010)

Pakistan’s next wheat crop at risk

The flood in Pakistan has destroyed the country’s wheat seed stock. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization warns of a major shortfall in the seasonal wheat harvest. (06.09.2010)

Aid agencies face growing hostility from Pakistani flood victims

Enduring starvation and disease, flood survivors are beginning to resent the slow pace of foreign aid in Pakistan. In addition, Pakistanis face the danger of unexploded landmines, washed up by the waters. (02.09.2010)

Pakistan floods aggravated by deforestation and other ecological mistakes

Human behavior has probably aggravated the scale of the devastation brought about by the floods in Pakistan. Pakistani environmentalists believe that there are important lessons to be learned. (01.09.2010)

Weather conditions tie fires in Russia to floods in Pakistan

Heat waves in Russia and floods in Pakistan - the number of recent extreme weather situations worldwide has experts puzzled. A shift in jet streams, the winds that help air masses circulate could be playing a role. (01.09.2010)

Difficult times for Afghan refugees in flood-stricken Pakistan

Tens of thousands of people have still not received much help in flood-stricken Pakistan. These include Afghan refugees who have been living in Pakistan for decades. (31.08.2010)

Web platform helps aid groups locate Pakistani flood victims

A Website launched in Pakistan uses crowd-sourcing technology to voice the needs of hundreds of flood victims seeking food, water and shelter. It's also helping coordinate the provision of aid in the flood disaster. (31.08.2010)

Microcredit to support reconstruction after floods

There has been a slight improvement in the flood situation in Pakistan. The southern city of Thatta has apparently been saved from being inundated, and many citizens who fled earlier are returning there. (30.08.2010)

Merkel appeals to donors as German aid arrives in Pakistan

As heavy flooding continues to forces millions of Pakistanis from their homes, a 100-ton shipment of German aid has arrived in the country. A second shipment is to be sent over the weekend. (28.08.2010)

Flood survivors face being thrown out of government buildings

According to the UN, there are still five million flood survivors without shelter. Thousands are trapped, with no access to food or clean drinking water. Many who sought refuge in government buildings risk eviction. (24.08.2010)

Logistics of Pakistani relief operation are 'nightmarish'

The UN says its relief operation in Pakistan to help the millions of flood victims is one of the most difficult it has ever mounted. High energy biscuits are now being dropped from helicopters. (24.08.2010)

Millions of Pakistanis still in desperate need

Anti-flood workers tried to strengthen river embankments in the southern city of Shadadkot in Sindh province on Monday. Most of the 350,000 inhabitants have already been evacuated but the floods threaten to wreak havoc. (23.08.2010)

German Muslims empty pockets for Pakistan flood victims

As flooding in Pakistan continues to displace millions of people, Muslim groups in Germany are mobilizing to raise money and support aid programs to help those in need. (18.08.2010)

Why is it so hard for Pakistan to accept Indian aid?

Over a fifth of Pakistan's surface has been flooded. The UN has called for 460 million dollars in emergency aid. The government has called for more aid but it seems reluctant to take any money from its neighbor India. (18.08.2010)

Pakistan asks for more aid to cope with flood disaster.

Pakistan's ambassador to the UN appeals for more support for his country as it struggles with the floods, which he says are a sign that climate change is here and a wake-up call for developed countries. (17.08.2010)

German donors increase their response to appeals for aid for Pakistan flood victims

Aid agencies have seen an increase in donations to the Pakistani relief effort. To date, Germans have contributed at least two million euros, but much more is still needed. (17.08.2010)