HINDSIGHT, they say, is usually 20/20. But in the case of the flood disaster, the lessons of 2010 have not been learnt. Nowhere is this more evident than in the UN’s response: both the appeal and allocations made so far do not come close to the amount pledged and released to Islamabad in the aftermath of the 2010 floods. Although a flash appeal has generated $150m, the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund had only released $7m as of the first week of September. Compared to this, CERF allocations for various interventions in Pakistan in 2010 totalled nearly $52m. This included funding for WASH projects, emergency shelter, food security, education, etc. While most of the UN system is still intact today, dozens of other agencies that supplemented the global body’s efforts have moved on from Pakistan.

The ‘cluster approach’, which involved various agencies working in the same sector coordinating their response for better allocation of resources, has also been absent. For example, a typical cluster meeting on shelter would include representatives from UN-Habitat, International Organisation for Migration, UNHCR, WFP, Unicef and other organisations with staff on the ground constantly feeding information to their teams in Islamabad. This means that facts being shared with decision-makers would enable the latter to determine where and how best to utilise the funds. Currently, UN-OCHA and the resident coordinator’s office are working as a sort of secretariat to fill this role. But while such joint working groups keep in close contact with the relevant government bodies, a centralised system cannot reflect victims’ needs without input from those working on the ground. Regrettably, the previous PML-N government refused permission to scores of INGOs to operate here. While there may have been legitimate security concerns, the fact is that today, the number of humanitarian agencies that helped in the 2010 effort stands halved. Then there are concerns about transparency; in 2010, international donors were concerned about whether their funds were being utilised properly. The concern remains today. The UN, and by extension the aid sector, must shift into high gear. Relief work is drawing to a close and the transition to rehabilitation and reconstruction must be swift and seamless. That cannot be accomplished unless needs assessments are completed and verified lists of potential beneficiaries prepared. This will be an extensive process, during which those displaced will be forced to live with relatives, in camps or other improvised dwellings. It is time to rebuild the right way.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2022