Around 3.5 million still ill-Equipped, Under- Nourished and Homeless
On October 8, 2005, the people of Muzafarabad (the sprawling capital city of PAK) resembled a ghost town, a 21st century reminder to the World War II blitzkrieg. It was day of mad nomadic rush in Bagh and Rawlakot was a city of the homeless. Over the next couple of days, ordinary people across the country had opened their hearts for the affected people in the valleys of death and roads to the earth quake zone were chocked with trucks laden with relief goods. Ironically, however, last year it was 7.8 magnitude earth quake, this year it could be a harsh winter against ill-equipped, under-nourished and homeless 3.5 million people.
Last year, it was death and destruction but this time disease and hunger may colour the headlines of newspapers black. With humanitarian corps pulled out long ago and the generous giving Pakistanis nowhere in sight, the challenge is still here haunting the 3.5 million people who could defy death. Today, the survivors stand alone amid the debris of their homes and desires. A year after the earthquake, the reconstruction could hardly kick off. The most vulnerable tucked on the mountain slopes of Neelum, Leepa, Naran, Kaghan, Bisham and Allai valleys remain neglected and underserved.
Shattered Dreams of Reconstruction
According to the official figures nearly 80,000 people died, almost half of them children. Double that number injured. More than six hundred thousand (6, 00,000) homes destroyed and some 3.5 million homeless. There has been a total collapse of infrastructure, commerce and communications. 6500 schools, 800 clinics and hospitals and over 3700 miles of roads, including dozens of bridges were destroyed.
Today there are over 2 million people still living in tents and temporary shelters. Many of the camps are still operational, but they are run down, over crowded, hygiene is very poor and the facilities are not maintained. Despite the aid and all the money pledged at the Donor Conference earlier this year, there is little evident of it. Everywhere you go in the earthquake zone and everyone you talk to who has been affected by this terrible disaster is dissatisfied with the slow pace at which the rehabilitation phase is progressing.
A year ago there were a million stories of heroism, activism and generosity. The response to tragedy was un-precedented. Today the story is one of neglect, cynicism, frustration and despair. The earthquake was followed by more than 3000 aftershocks and some smaller earthquakes, winter and then the rainy season, the monsoon. While aftershocks continued to create panic and the winter brought with it all kind of respiratory and other ailments, it was the monsoon that proved to be the deadly. Heavy rains caused flash floods and landslides that wiped away entire mountain sides. Torrents of water flowed down at breakneck speed taking with it mud and boulders that blanketed huge areas. Many villages were destroyed; houses that survived the quake disappeared under the river of mud and stones. The deforestation by the timber mafia caused this damage. This timber mafia is clearing the forests to make super profits in the reconstruction process. Greed is a terrible thing as it knows no bounds. Once the beautiful mountain forests are looking like a massive environmental graveyard as well as humans one. At least 30% of quake affected people has no land to build their homes. Many have no proof of their homes because their whole villages were wiped out and disappeared under the faltering mountain tops. Even if they will get the compensation from the government to build their houses, they have no land to build them.
Today is the first anniversary of that tragedy and still rehabilitation and reconstruction are a far cry from what they should have been. Millions of survivors are left to face not only utter devastation of their families, communications and livelihoods, but also the imminent arrival of the regions freezing winter weather without adequate shelter and the means to provide for basic life sustaining needs. Only 17% quake survivors have started to build their homes and these are still incomplete. Most likely they will spend their winter in the tents and temporary shelters. There are no signs of reconstruction of hospitals, schools, roads and other basic needs. The children are studying in the tent schools or shelters that can not bear the hardships of extreme winter weather.
All the tall claims made by the government about rehabilitation and reconstruction have been proved lies and false promises. The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) led by a serving General has failed to pay compensation money to the quake survivors. It has also failed to start any major reconstruction projects in last 6 months.
More people will die because of negligence, corruption, incapacity and poorly planned reconstruction and rehabilitation work by the military led government. There will be more destruction and miseries for the earthquake affected people under capitalism. It will take at least a decade to complete some sort of reconstruction and rehabilitation work. The cost of reconstruction has already gone up from 3.6 billion dollars to 4.8 billion dollars because of the increased prices of construction materials. It will rise further in years to come.
Hate and Anger against ERRA,s Corruption and Nepotism
Hundreds of survivors of last year’s earthquake staged an anti- graft protest and sit-in in the capital city Islamabad to mark the 1st anniversary of last year’s earthquake. The demonstrators accused the reconstruction officials of corruption. Waving placards reading “Stop taking bribes”, “Spend the winter with us”, “Build our homes before snowfall”, the demonstrators marched from the parliament to the office of the state Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority(ERRA). People, including women and children, from Neelum Valley, Bagh, Rawlakot, Muzarabad, Mansehra and other affected areas participated in the demonstration.
The demonstrations against ERRA have become a daily routine in the affected areas. The hate and anger against ERRA is on the rise. Muzafarabad and surrounding areas saw a mass movement and strikes against the anti poor people policies of ERRA. Many people believe that ERRA is involved in corruption and nepotism. Many also seem it inefficient and highly bureaucratic organization which is more interested in their own perks and privileges than to help the quake victims.
ERRA staff comprises 174 people. The authority’s 88 officers drawing annual salaries, perks and privileges worth RS 12.8 million while the rest of the staff is receiving annual salaries and benefits worth RS, 5.6 million. Each ERRA employee is getting a deputation allowance which is 25% of his basic pay. Also the utility bills of the ERRA employees are being paid by the government. In addition to this, all ERRA employees have been given an honorarium for six months—equivalent to 50% of their basic pay. With having all the perks and privileges the ERRA has not been able to done enough. 36000 cheques, worth 900 million issued by ERRA to the affected people have bounced. 36000 families are without the initial compensation paid by the government to build temporary shelters. Thousands of families have yet not received any money to build their houses. ERRA has become a source of lucrative jobs for army men, not just because it has huge funds to splash around. It is also not answerable to any civilian body.
The main problem with ERRA is that they do not take into consideration the people they are made for. The ERRA is not consulting the local communities in the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation. ERRA has already lost lot of precious time in the process of bureaucratic decision making. ERRA has lost almost 6 months before starting the reconstruction phase.
The Matter of Contention
The one other factor that is also delaying the reconstruction work is the differences between the military establishment and international donors. The military establishment wants to gave all the main construction contracts to the military owned construction companies through ERRA. But international donors want open biding of these contracts, so that multinational companies can also participate in the biding. This conflict of interests has also delayed the start of reconstruction and especially main projects. The military establishment wants to continue the tradition that developed in last decade to get all the major contracts without any open biding. Military owned the largest construction companies in Pakistan, which has become profit making tools for the senior military officers. The major reconstruction projects will not be able to start without resolving this issue, because international donors have threaten to stop aid, if ERRA go ahead with these projects without their consultation.
Profits before People
The prices of all the construction materials have been doubled since the earthquake. The prices of cement, bricks, steel sheets, timber (wood) and other materials have gone up; make it even more difficult for working class people to build their houses. The industrialists and big traders are making profits of billions of rupees on the expense of nearly 3 million poor working class people. Big business is busy making super profits to increase the prices of construction materials and daily utilities, and more than 3 million poor people are living in misery and horrible conditions. One quake affected worker describes the situation “after the earth quake we were thinking that rich people will help us, but instead they are making profits out of our miseries and destruction. The prices of flour, sugar, vegetables and fruits have already been increased more than 100%. The cost of building a house is also doubled in last one year. We are living in a situation where we can not eat and build our houses and lives”. This situation is faced by all the poor working class people living in the affected areas. The greedy capitalist class once again proved that their only concern is profits and money; they do not care about poor people and their miseries. They produce goods not for the needs of working people but to make profits. The capitalist greed is adding insult to the injuries of affected people. Nationalization of the economy under the democratic control of workers is necessary for the quick and rapid reconstruction and rehabilitation. This will end the capitalist greed of profits.