Malala visits flood-hit Johi, interacts with women, children

SUKKUR/KARACHI: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai on Wednesday visited the flood-hit area of district Dadu and reviewed the devastation caused by the monsoon rains and flash floods.

Accompanied by her father, Ziauddun Yousafzai, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah and singer Shehzad Roy, Malala Yousafzai landed at Zam Zama Gas field’s helipad in Dadu.

She inspected the Chhandan area of Johi and lamented the devastation caused by the flood. The purpose of the Nobel Laureate’s visit is to help flood victims in rehabilitation as floods had devastated hundreds of thousands of families in Sindh and other parts of the country.

Malala visited the embankment of MNV Drain and also met the flood-hit families and the children living there in tents. Malala Yousafzai also inspected the tent settlement in Chandan Deh and met the flood victims.

On arrival at the tent village, Yousafzai was warmly received by women belonging to flood-affected families. On this occasion, the Nobel laureate mingled with the affected families.

In his briefing, Education Minister Sardar Shah informed that 12,000 schools were destroyed due to the floods, which had affected the education of 2 million children. Sardar Shah said that many areas are still under water and after drainage of the flood water, the damaged schools will be identified.

He said further surveys will be conducted to determine the damage to the schools after water recedes. Malala expressed her concern over the destruction of educational institutions as education of children had been affected.

Malala talked to the flood-affected women during her visit to the camp and listened to their problems. She encouraged the flood-affected women, saying that they are brave as they were coping with these difficult times.

Deputy Commissioner Sayed Murtaza Ali Shah also briefed the Nobel laureate about the destruction caused by the floods in the district. On this occasion, DC and SSP Dadu also presented a gift of Ajrak and shawl to Malala Yousafzai on behalf of Sindh Chief Minister. Later, Malala returned to Karachi

Later, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his meeting with Malala Yousafzai said that her visit to the flood-hit areas of Dadu and meeting with the affected families living in the makeshift shelter camps stressed on the need of supporting the flood-ravaged people for their rehabilitation.

The CM and the Nobel laureate, in their meeting at the CM House, discussed the overall flood situation, its devastation and the need to help rehabilitate the flood victims. Malala said that the education of school-going children living in the makeshift camps had been badly affected. She added that she had visited a tent girls’ school in the flood-affected area and spent some time with its students. “Their morale is high and their spirit for receiving education is commendable,” she said.

Shah urged Malala to visit the government-run schools in the calamity-hit parts of Sindh and meet with students once the floodwater was drained, so that their spirit for receiving education could be rejuvenated. At this, Malala said she would again visit Pakistan and meet with students for highlighting the importance of education.

The CM thanked Malala for her visit to Pakistan soon after the flood calamity while he presented her the memento of Ajrak and Khes as token of respect and appreciation.