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Katie Olsen

Editor of Lifelounge. I like unicorns, fish tacos and Khloe Kardashian.

Follow @katiealiceolsen.

Floods in Pakistan

POSTED BY Katie ON 30 AUG 2010 @ 10:00 AM

According to the United Nations, the huge floods in north-west Pakistan have affected 13.8 million people – entirely eclispsing the damage done in 2004's tsunami. Maurizio Giuliano (a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) said "This disaster is worse than the tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and the Haiti earthquake."

The size of the area ravaged by the floods is apparently the same size as England and has affected 20 million people. So why has it garnered less media attention and far fewer donations from around the world? BEATS ME.

Donate at oxfam.org.au.

You don't know them, but they need your help.

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There are "14" comment(s) on "Floods in Pakistan"

Working as a media liason volunteer for Pakistan Consul for crisis relief and am writing a political commentary on this exact issue currently! It's seriously ridiculous and shameful how little has been donated compared to Haiti and Xmas tsunami. Compared to the same timeframe after those events, international donations for Pakistan only sum approx 10%.

Em-T - about a year ago

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WHY, Em? I don't understand and it makes my heart hurt.

Katie - about a year ago

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Pakistan is regarded by The West as a "terrorist-harboring" nation. The mainstream media have given the issue very little coverage - leading to very few private donations. Pakistan is a "bad country" so their disaster isn't newsworthy, nor is it PRable enough for celebrities to get behind the way they did for the Tsunami, Katrina etc. The whole thing is pretty disgusting.

Lebronski - about a year ago

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So true. We've had "Pakistan = Bad" drummed into us by the media since 9/11. For the media to turn around now and cover the tragedy to attract donations would appear two faced. Conundrums when there should be.

GoldPox - about a year ago

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I meant 'shouldn't'... oopsy!

GoldPox - about a year ago

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I reckon the problem is simply too big so people don't feel like their $20, $50 or $100 will make any difference. We've grown up with LiveAid, FarmAid, BandAid, benefits, telethons and appeals by the hundreds. We're asked to sponsor a child or go without food for 40 hours to raise money for those in 3rd world countries. So it's not like we're racist or tight. The Tsunami was local. There were Australians involved. It hit home. So of course we jumped on board. Haiti was popular with America, hence it was popular with us by proxy. This is just incomprehensible to us. We can't imagine a population the size of our own being displaced by flood. If we can't visualise the devastation we can't make an emotional attachment to it that makes us care enough to donate. Or maybe it's just that all we can see right now is water? Once we can see the devastation it leaves behind when the waters subside then maybe everyone will get off their asses. But my feeling is people think this is just too big and we're far enough away that we can let someone else clean it up. That might sound cold and heartless, but that's what I think the underlying feeling is. The question is, what is Lifelounge going to do about it? What is this community going to do? Surely there's enough design, writing, web nerd talent among the people here to create some noise?

freeak - about a year ago

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That's one of the reasons I like Oxfam's approach to donations. They tell you how much your money can help; they list how many kits your money can get to how many families. It makes your contribution seem much more tangible.

Katie - about a year ago

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Freeak and Lebronski, can you please all write my political commentary for me? there's some seriously good explanations here. i have 300 words to go. deadline.... imminent.

Em-T - about a year ago

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Thanks Em-T. KO, very true. Lebronski makes a very good point too. We never hear anything good coming out of Pakistan. What have they done for anyone apart from Pakistan lately? All we hear about is links with terrorism, political assassinations, imminent nuclear war with India and, most importantly, match fixing in cricket. It's all bad. We never hear that Pakistan helped an old lady cross the road or got a kitten out of the tree. It's all, Pakistan shot the old lady after mistaking her for Benazir Bhutto, then nuked the kitten, tree and whole town. I reckon if you asked people to name something good that comes out of Pakistan, they'd either shrug their shoulders or say drugs.

freeak - about a year ago

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Agreed. Pakistan has a bad PR image amongst the Western world. It's a sad fact that the first thing my mother said when I told her I was volunteering was "aren't they terrorists???". It takes only a minute of retrospect, however, to realise that the devastated - and incredibly poor - people of this country who have nothing to do with nuclear bombs, terrorists, cricket-match-fixing or U.S. Foreign Policy. Humanitarian compassion is something that I like to believe goes beyond religion and politics. Unfortunately, I'm being proved wrong currently.

Em-T - about a year ago

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I just had a friend try and "explain" to me how Islamist extremism was THE danger for the world today (he actually equated it with the Nazi movement) and thus ALL muslims were to be shunned in general. There was no reasoning with him. He was adament. I'd like to think he's just a freak (no offense freeak), but unfortunately lots of intelligent people actually believe this. When did people start thinking (and I use the term loosely) in generalities? Or have they always done so?

fujiko-san - about a year ago

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As technology brings the world closer, its people become more and more homogenised. Globalisation gives us common points of reference with people who live on the other side of the world and speak a different language. The media and celebrity culture (no offence) dumbs us down and alters our perceptions. Pushing the boundaries of classification and good taste desensitise us. Everything is designed to make us all the same. The more we progress, the more average we become. And the more all of this is pushed on people who don't want it, the more extremism will rise. And not just with Muslims. Look at the recent election. It was a battle of sameness. Yet the biggest surge in votes went to The Greens (an extreme left organisation) and Independents like Bob Katter (extreme right).

freeak - about a year ago

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This is a good point, but I also find that the more a group feels mis-understood and discriminated against, the more they act up. Why are young English born Paki-boys going to fight in the jihad? Because they're sick of being called Paki-boys (or towel heads, or sand monkeys, or indians/arabs/mexicans...)

fujiko-san - about a year ago

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Well Miss pearly whites is on board (pun actually not intended, but im rolling with it). http://media.theage.com.au/entertainment/red-carpet/jolie-meets-flood-victims-1912819.html?from=newsbox

NOTORIOUSJAY - about a year ago

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