 |
| Women's issues in floods |
"You tell me where we should go?" Obviously, we had no answer to this question of Ayesha.
Two families live in this small tent given by the government. Just understand that the head is a place to hide. A little protection from rain. But where do you go for the washroom?
This was the conversation of Ayesha from Mahmudani Bhat, a small village in Balochistan. He said that there is an open area in the far distance in which the water is several feet deep, there is not even a thick tree to sit under. Why doesn't the government make any arrangement?'
This is not only the question of Ayesha, but also the question of millions of women who have been displaced by floods and are sitting in camps or in open places for their lives.
'Flood raila swept away the entire village'
This year, due to short duration of heavy rains caused by long monsoon in Pakistan, most of the areas of Pakistan are in the grip of floods, including Balochistan and entire Sindh and some districts of southern Punjab. 90% of the people of Sindh and Balochistan are completely or partially affected by the floods. Roads, bridges and houses have been swept away by the flood water, around a thousand human lives have been lost. People are homeless and sitting helplessly in unserviceable high places and in some places in tents provided by the administration.
Ayesha Las Bela is a resident of Mahmudani Bhat, a small village in Balochistan that has been wiped out by rain and floods. She says that there were about 30 houses in this village which were swept away by the flood. With great difficulty the people of the village saved their lives and we alighted at a nearby high place under the open sky. Two days passed in this agony that rain was falling continuously, there were drops that were piercing the body like a bullet. Lightning crackled in the sky and thunderous clouds were heart-warming. It was very cold. People were covering themselves and children with plastic sheets and large shopping bags. Two days later, the administration provided the tents.
Toilets are a big problem for women
Now these homeless people are sheltering in tents provided by the government at a relatively high place, two families in one tent.
With the help of the government and volunteers to the extent of food and water, these people are maintaining the relationship between body and soul. Even if they get food and water once a day, but apart from food and water, there are other necessities of life without which it is impossible to live and which no one talks about. There are toilet and sanitation issues. There is an open area far away and water is standing all around, so where do these women go?
In this regard, the problems of women in both Sindh and Balochistan provinces are the same.
Rashid Jamali, a volunteer who explained the situation in Sindh, said that in Sindh, three from Johi, one from Mehar and one from Khairpur Nathan Shah's Union Council, around 15,000 flood victims are at Zero Point (FC Dam) near Manchhar Lake. . It is a relatively high area, but there are villages surrounded by flood water around it, whose poor people live on this embankment.
Aziman of Goth Khan Muhammad Mallah who was here spoke to us on Rashid Jamali's phone with great difficulty because it was definitely difficult for a woman to discuss this topic while being close to a man.
He said that they are in big trouble. Where to go, there is open space and water all around. Bareness is a separate issue and sitting in water is not easy. Some of the women go far away and set up a cot, and sit under its cover. When some women stand around, the veil becomes all around.
He further said, "But the water is not there, no snake will bite you, no insect will bite you." Regarding purification, Aziman said that they clean themselves with this dirty water. Where did the clean water for bathing and purification come from?
Saras Bano, a matriculation student of a union council of Khairpur Nathan Shah, has a question that the people are the responsibility of the government, so where is the government?
"They come to take votes, don't you stand with us even in this hour of adversity?"
Regarding the toilet, Bano says, "We don't have food and water, what people give us, we only eat a few morsels even when we are not hungry and drink two sips of water throughout the day to avoid this flood." Do not go through the ordeal of defecating in water. Dirty water is standing all around, in every house especially women and children are sick. Throwing us in the camps, the government has forgotten.
Mehtab Sindhujo, associated with a local NGO, Life Development Organisation, says, “The government can build temporary latrines made of hard boards, a deep pit is dug in them and all the waste goes into the pit. Now in this way dirt is spreading in water or in open places, people are getting sick, stomach diseases are present in every house or camp. There is fear that an epidemic may break out. '
He further said that due to the flood water standing in the area for several weeks, mosquitoes, flies and other germs are spreading, due to which diseases are spreading rapidly.
Dadu District Deputy District Health Officer Dr. Amjad Hussain Mastoi says that there is no doubt that women are more affected in this calamity. Those who are staying in schools etc. have the facility of washrooms but those who are sitting in camps or FC Bandh and Shayal Bandh are in bad condition. There is no such facility far and wide that these women can fulfill their needs while wearing veil. The government had tried to provide small temporary washrooms But it was not possible.
Fears of filth and disease, 'women stopped eating and drinking'
Hamidaan, a volunteer working for women, said that if people are kept in schools etc., the washrooms there are also so dirty that women sit patiently instead of leaving.
Regarding the diseases that are caused by stopping defecation, Dr. Amjad says that 'women are definitely sick, but they do not focus on their disease, they do not discuss their disease with us but say that we do not need medicine. give food There is a shortage of rations, food and water.
Samia (pseudonym), a lady doctor associated with the government health department, says that she got a chance to visit some camps with an NGO. Due to lack of washroom, women have stopped eating and drinking.
"All these poor women are already undernourished and are thus further stressed." Apart from this, there is fear that she may suffer from various kidney diseases and constipation.
He said that many women have symptoms indicating that they may be suffering from a urinary tract infection, they need regular tests and treatment. They cannot tell these diseases to a male doctor, the government should involve lady doctors as much as possible in the relief work.
Problems of women in the home
Lack of washroom facilities for women is not only a problem for women sheltering in camps but also for women who are less affected by floods or whose houses are partially affected.
In this regard, Khalil Ronjhu, a volunteer of Los Bela, says that in this rain, the houses of the people whose houses were relatively solid and did not fall down, even then the toilet or washroom of these houses collapsed because usually the houses were made of bricks. There are, but not giving so much importance to the washroom, they prefer to build the washroom with raw bricks. Women are directly affected by washroom collapse because men go out of the house to remote areas, but women moving away in this flood is a big problem.
Arif Jabbar Khan, country director of WaterAid Pakistan, an international organization that works on health and sanitation in Pakistan, told the The Time News Today that it is a fact that water reservoirs are polluted and washrooms are flooded. The facilities are destroyed.
Lack of washroom facility causes nakedness, disrespect and insecurity especially for women. Women wait for darkness to defecate so as not to be naked, but in this darkness they may be bitten by a snake etc. and especially harassed.
Arif Jabbar Khan also says that "keeping in mind our traditions and culture (especially the veil), the priority of the government, donors and aid organizations is to provide such safe washrooms in the affected areas, which should have a regular arrangement of light."
He also said that 'women and girls should be included in the decision-making process regarding the design of washrooms or latrines because they can express their needs better.'
Hamza Anjam, assistant commissioner of Bela, a sub-division of Las Bela division, says that for the flood victims, we had built a whole tent city in which 1037 families were sheltered and 3300 were provided with ration. The city was also saved by damming at four places. In this tent city we also built 16 washrooms and two were mobile so that women could take them away and use them.
He further said that there are 7 revenue circles in our division and each circle has 27 to 55 villages. We have complete data if any donor or organization wants to work for immediate or post-flood village washroom construction for flood affected people, we are ready to facilitate.
Deep water far and wide, open sky above the head, few bites of rice and drinking two sips of water, these flood affected women are going through the worst period of their life, the only question in their eyes is who will take care of their needs. ...State ? Which is trying to emerge from the dirty water of politics.
0 Comments