Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Pakistan Flooding



     In a recent press release, the Pakistani president stated that the extensive flood damage will take at least three years for the country to recover from. Constant monsoons over the last few weeks have crippled the country's transit and economy. The floods have claimed approximately 1,500 lives and drastically affected 17 million people. The UN is working quickly to provide financial assistance for Pakistan and has reportedly received 70% of the $460 million they requested for the efforts. The Pakistani government intends to give what equates to about $230 USD to all of the suffering families, but it will obviously take a great deal more for the country to get back on track. Government officials also fear a rise in Taliban and Al Qaeda activity as a result of the chaos from the flooding.


     I feel very strongly about natural disasters such as what is going on in Pakistan and what happened in Haiti. I think it is a devastating blow to third-world countries that can’t sustain normal life, much less a horrific natural disaster. I think that we all need to be more diligent about unifying as a global community to help and mobilize relief efforts and teams. Perhaps if we allotted tax money to sustain a constant relief fund for circumstances like this, it wouldn’t be so hard for the global community to scramble for funds when the unthinkable does happen. I’m currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and upon completion of my degree I hope to work for the Red Cross or FEMA as an international emergency relief coordinator. I want to be active in the global community organizing and orchestrating the teams and supplies that go in after a natural disaster or other tragedies. Hopefully taking meteorology this semester will give me a better understanding of the impact and causes of weather disasters that I can use in my future endeavors.




Link to article:
Pakistan Flood Damage

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