Transparent relief

As Sindh scrambles to save the Dadu Grid Station and federal and provincial governments attempt to provide relief and rehabilitation to flood affectees, while also battling fake news, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to ensure transparency in the allocation of relief funds for the flood survivors comes as an encouraging initiative. The establishment of a ‘Digital Flood Dashboard’ is a step in the right direction as it is likely to keep the public abreast of relief measures that the authorities concerned are taking. With the launch of this dashboard, people will be able to access direct information about the financial support and relief goods that the authorities are receiving from diverse sources and distributing among the flood-affected people across the country. The PM has also announced that the auditor general of Pakistan and an internationally reputed audit firm would conduct an audit of financial aid received for flood victims. The enormity of the recent flood is unprecedented and its aftermath will not be easy to tackle. Pakistan’s friends and partners have been generous in announcing their aid and support to the country and it is vital that the aid – both in cash and kind – gets its way to the affected people in a transparent manner. Any negligence in the receipt and distribution of aid from domestic and foreign sources will create reservations in the minds of the donors.

It is of vital significance that all aid distribution by the government comes under strict review and effective mechanisms are in place while life activities in the flood-affected areas gradually come back to normal. The dashboard must use the same level of high surveillance to expedite and rehabilitate infrastructure including bridges and roads. But the first priority for transparency is in the relief work. The provision of the basic necessities of life must be followed by infrastructure rehabilitation. We have seen in the past that the restored infrastructure is mostly of poor quality and washes away in the next spell of rains and floods. So the rehabilitation effort must take into account two steps: first, building of bridges and roads on a temporary basis to restore access to remote areas. Two, a long-term planning and allocation of resources for building infrastructure that is robust and high enough to withstand high floods which are increasingly becoming common. As Pakistan is grappling with the immediate challenge of averting imminent food insecurity in the country, a focus on transparency in distribution will certainly send a right signal to donors for their continued support.

One of the major reasons the government needs to ensure a transparent mechanism is the way social media campaigns have emerged, alleging corruption in flood aid. Such campaigns will only hurt the flood donation drive. When other countries extend humanitarian relief assistance to Pakistan they must rest assured that the affectees are receiving full benefit of it without any pilferage or slip on the way. It is imperative that the fake news and rumour factory is contained and exposed by the media. The NDMA has strongly denied recent social media stories regarding flood relief theft. In Sindh, provincial minister Sharjeel Memon has blamed the PTI for spreading the propaganda over donations from the United Kingdom for flood victims, saying that the party will have to answer for it. Donors – both national and international – must trust the government of Pakistan in this time of dire need. For that, we need a transparent system and all stakeholders – including petulant opposition parties – to stand united for relief instead of casting aspersions over the state’s ability to account for flood donations.