Government of Sindh has announced drought emergency in district Tharparkar and officially launched a request to UN humanitarian Coordinator was requested by Sindh government to organize a joint UN mission to review the reports of high number of child deaths in the district.[i]
NDMA has declared Chahro, Islamkot, Khinser and Mithi as worst affected areas and total 20 UCs are declared as severely affected areas.[ii]
The Pakistan Army has distributed 45 tons of food, established four medical camps and a team of doctors including 3 lady officers and 3 child specialists have treated 1,625 affectees. PDMA Baluchistan has dispatched 1,000 rice bags (50 KG each) for distribution. PDMA Sindh has dispatched 5,000 ration bags for distribution, while medical supplies and teams of doctors have also been sent to the affected areas. Officials of NDMA and PDMA KP are also on ground to assess the situation[iii]
National Humanitarian Network (NHN) Sindh Chapter holds a meeting in Hyderabad for taking all the members on board regarding situation in Thar. According to NHN, they are going to launch an advocacy campaign for exerting pressure on provincial government for fulfilling their commitments as well as ensure transparent distribution of food assistance to the affected population.[iv]
SPO is collecting information from the ground and formulate a course of action by March 13, 2014. According to various on ground sources the acute needs are food distribution, access to health facilities, nutrition stabilization services, drinking water and vaccination and fodder of livestock against sheep pox that is on rise in the area.
[iv] Minutes of NHN Meeting held on 10th March 2014 at Hyderabad
The National Humanitarian Network (NHN), a network of national non govern mental organization, express its concern on the inadequacy of the response to the disaster in Balochistan and called upon the government to expedite, also plan and implement rehabilitation of affected population and reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure.
