2011-09-17 18:03:43

Floods in Sindh: aid denied to Christians and Hindus


(September 17, 2011) Among the flood victims of Sindh (South of Pakistan), Christian and Hindu "Dalits" families, considered the "untouchables", are thrown out of refugee camps set up by the government and do not receive humanitarian aid. This is the complaint which comes from the diocese of Hyderabad and sent to Fides, confirmed by non-governmental organizations engaged in solidarity. Torrential rains hit the region of Sindh, and will continue over the next few days, causing widespread flooding. Out of the 23 districts of the province, 22 are strongly affected and the flood victims are over 5 million Aid has started to move, with the Pakistani civil protection, as well as NGOs that are at the forefront. Franciscan Fr. Samson Shukardin, General Vicar of the Diocese of Hyderabad in Sindh, and diocesan Director of the Commission "Justice and Peace", told Fides: "We have an emergency, the entire diocese has been hit. We have 16 parishes, all 16 parish priests have asked for help. The displaced people are mostly Hindus, but there are also thousands of Muslim and Christian families. Caritas and NGOs are distributing food aid, medicines, tents. I visited some affected areas: the population has been put to the test and is discouraged. The local church also reports cases of discrimination in the distribution of humanitarian aid, a terrible thing that was already registered unfortunately during the floods in 2010. The victims are mostly tribal. In the district of Badin, on the border with India, inhabited by Parkari tribes, a pastor told me that in the two refugee camps set up by the Government, Christians have been rejected because, what is said is, 'Western missionaries think about you'. in the district of Badin the Hindus of lower castes were not accepted in public refugee camps, because "the Dalits cannot be next to Muslims". Thousands of Dalit flood victims live thus still "open", without any shelter, although the heavy rains continue. NGOs call for a decisive intervention from Mohan Lal Kohistan, Provincial Minister for religious minorities in the province of Sindh, to end such discrimination.








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