Larger photo here.
FishOutofWater's Diary: Spirals Deeper
Pakistan Urges Quick Aid For Those Storm Displaced
http://online.wsj.com/...
Pakistan called on the international community to rush aid to one million people left homeless by massive flooding amid forecasts yesterday that still more rain would be dumped on the stricken areas in coming days....
some 20,000 people were rendered homeless after waters from a canal spilled over embankments, ...
Tariq Ayub, Baluchistan's home secretary, who is overseeing the flood-relief operation, said many of the casualties occurred because of drowning and people getting trapped under the debris of their collapsing homes.
Sound familiar?
Thanks FishOutofWater for some good links
This site shows global rain rates.
Here's the Pakistan Meteorology Department.
Check out the latest Radar from the Weather Channel!!
It has been raining for the last two weeks. And it is still raining...or is going to be soon. This time it looks like it is heading for the earthquake ravaged region...
Thirteen thousand remain in post-quake camps in north
http://www.alertnet.org/...
Almost two years after a powerful earthquake ripped through parts of northern Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, there are over 13,000 people still in tented camps across the quake zone facing a number of problems, including food aid and land to relocate to.
...
In March, the camp authorities said they would close all tented camps by end of June 2007 and quake-displaced families were to return to their areas in two phases. In the first phase, IDPs possessing land but who had lost their houses and livelihoods had been assisted to return. In the second phase starting in May, landless families were to be assisted through an additional grant of about US$1,250.
Premature rains
With the onset of premature monsoon rains, subsequent flooding and landslides have aggravated the situation of camp residents. "Some of the shelters made of corrugated sheets collapsed while others leaked badly. This has adversely affected water and sanitation systems in the camp. Help has arrived and partner organizations have started fixing it,"
Global Warming? It has been raining for two week now...will it ever end?
Fury over Pakistan flood relief
http://news.bbc.co.uk/...
"The government has the resources, but it does not have the will. It has failed to show the skills to manage the crisis," he says.
Looks like like the same problem we had with FEMA.
Pakistan military's profits draw ire
http://www.csmonitor.com/...
In a democracy, he says, the people can siphon off anger by voting a government out of office. Under a military regime, such anger can only kindle unrest, and these privileges are like a bellows for the public rage aflame in Pakistan.
Military officers are being placed in every sector of government. Ohh they are retried.
Pakistan in crisis over mosque attack
http://www.atimes.com/...
After months of playing cat and mouse, Pakistani paramilitary forces were on Tuesday let loose against Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad, run by outspoken brothers Maulana Abdul Aziz and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed...The students have had several run-ins with the authorities over their attempts to impose Taliban-style social values in the capital, but in all cases the government has backed off.
As soon as the firing started, Aziz announced on the mosque's loudspeakers that the students should put on suicide jackets and be ready to carry out attacks on any security people entering the mosque.
This spooked the security personnel and they retreated, but were instructed to maintain the siege. Appeals were also made on the loudspeakers for the residents of Islamabad to help the students and "mujahideen". Some government buildings in Islamabad are reported to have been attacked.
Pakistani judges order sweep for bugging devices
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
The court ordered the Intelligence Bureau, Pakistan's main civilian spy agency, to ensure all bugging or other surveillance devices were removed from the homes and offices of supreme court judges within one week.
Now what does the post have to say...
The Pakistan Time Bomb
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Musharraf's problem is that he has failed to act swiftly and ruthlessly to set Pakistan's politics on a proper course, and he knows -- better than his critics -- that given the complexity of Pakistan's internal problems, the holding of free and fair elections might not check Pakistan's drift toward extremism.
...income disparities and rural poverty have both grown while the urban elite make money hand over fist. His treatment of the press has been retrograde. It is Orwellian for American officials to claim that Pakistan is on the road to democracy...
The United States is paying lip service to a regime that is collapsing before its eyes and that may yet turn truly nasty.
Pakistan's mosque fire spreads
http://www.atimes.com/...
Since the mosque was cordoned off on Tuesday and subjected to bombardment, more than 30 people have been killed and scores injured. Thousands of students have fled the mosque and nearby seminaries for men and women.
Several hundred people remain in the mosque under the leadership of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who said on Friday that he and his followers would choose "martyrdom" rather than arrest.
I don't know what else to say... Looks like a whole lot of trouble.
Donations
Relief for Cyclone Survivors in Pakistan
Mercy Corps
3015 SW First Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
and
Pakistan Red Crescent
Doctors Without Borders
Edhi Foundation
Pakistan based aid
Where is the MSM? Just the same old Libby apologizers, I am sick of hearing the "balanced" BS we keep seeing on the TV.
Lets win some hearts and minds and get the aid moving.
I Have been working on this diary for a couple of days. But it doesn't look like any of the problems are resolved so I am going to post this now. I diaried about it on the 30th thanks for everyone that recommended it.
On a much lighter note...
I would Tip... But I can't recommend or troll.
I have been flagged and I am in the new ratings time-out box.