Water water everywhere... 2

Not too long ago, I wrote about the floods in Ghana. Little did I know soon they’d hit us in Sweden too. While I was looking out my window, late Thursday night, enjoying the snowflakes that were falling and watching the grounds, trees and houses turn white, I was oblivious to the fact that when I’d wake up the next morning it would all have melted away and rain storms would be heading in.

The storm continued all of Friday, I’m just grateful I had already planned to spend the day indoors (laundry day), so that I watched the winds cry and trees dance vigorously from the comfort of my sitting room.

(Picture borrowed from Göteborgsposten, "the Gothenburg Post")

In shock, I read that a woman nearly drowned in her car after taking a wrong turn onto a flooded road. This happened not too far from where I myself had to wade through waist (!) high water, in 2005 as we experienced Hurricane Gudrun. As I write, many roads and areas of the city have been sectioned off while work is done to drain the excess water.

Despite the ongoing winds and downpour, I am still dreaming of a white Christmas. So here’s today’s Christmas song, with one of my favourite artists of all time – the great Otis Redding.

Pakistan needs our help

I feel a bit uneasy when I hear reports of the recent Pakistan floods. Something is missing. At first I couldn’t pinpoint what it was then, as I heard the CNN reporter for the third time mention that Ban Ki-moon calls this the worst disaster he has seen, it hit me: there is no sympathy. It is being reported in the same sensationalist way you’d report a concert with a record number of viewers.

Whilst the reporter sent to China is crying (which cold-hearted Virgo and I both found very unprofessional), the reporter in Pakistan is speaking with an excitement that makes me uncomfortable. It seems I am not the only one who has noticed the unsympathetic reactions to this massive disaster, last night I briefly heard another report that was trying to investigate why we global citizens are not really reacting to these floods. One of the reasons mentioned was that the death toll is reasonably low (if I had stayed, it seemed they were to tell us this isn’t even true). Meanwhile in an article urging us to make donations to Pakistan’s flood victims, the following is stated:

"The U.N. wants to spotlight the enormity of the disaster, which is bigger than the 2004 Asian tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and this year's Haiti earthquake, yet has attracted far less in donations."

I think you, like me, might be surprised by this statement, especially considering the amount of support, attention, physical and financial donations and empathy that was given during the tsunami and the Haiti earthquake. It is shocking how little is being done to help this time around. From what I hear, 20% of Pakistan is under water. In a cruel twist of fate, the country being flooded has left many in desperate need of clean drinking water (don’t the powers that be have a twisted sense of humour?).

It’s time to push aside all prejudice about Pakistan as a country of terrorists, suicide bombers, or thoughts like ’they’re so used to suffering anyway’, ‘no whites/blacks/Christians are injured’, whatever it is that is blocking the outpouring of sympathy that would usually flow after a natural disaster. If you can, give, possibly to Save the Children here, or if in Sweden, follow these instructions:
"Barn i Pakistan behöver vatten, medicin och skydd nu! Många dör varje dag. Du kan vara med och rädda liv för en liten slant. Smsa BARN till 72950 och ge 200 kr. Sänd gärna vidare! Mvh Rädda Barnen"


And of course, if cash no dey, a little prayer doesn't cost a thing!

Rain, rain, go away!

Oh dear, should we be worried about the floods that are taking over West Africa? According to BBC News, between 25 and 32 people have already died in Ghana and more in our neighbouring countries. Annoyingly, I got more news from BBC's website than from Joy's. I had hoped to read about the floods in further detail on Joy's website, but it seems theirs rather showed a summary of what I had already read.

I guess as I prepare to make my journey home, I'll have to wait a day or two before I hear more news on these floods. Do feel free to fill me in!