Flashfloods in Pakistan: A Major Cause of Concern

The world today is far different and not as safe as before. Climate change has long been blamed for numerous disasters and catastrophes that have deeply affected the lives of millions of people. The frequent occurrence of earthquakes has caused widespread damage to infrastructure and made more people homeless. Tsunamis have also swept the land taking the lives of thousands or even millions of people. But perhaps the most destructive of them all are abnormal weather patterns that have caused flashfloods and made more people homeless.

In recent news, the country of Pakistan was ravaged by unexpected flashfloods submerging a fifth of the nation’s total land area. Estimates reported that over 10 percent of the population which is roughly 20 million people is deeply affected by this catastrophe. More than 1,500 people were already killed by the floods and about 3.5 million children are in imminent danger of contracting various deadly diseases such as cholera, acute diarrhea and malaria. The millions of people who are stranded are also in danger of starvation and may lack clean drinkable water. Without the necessary help, thousands more may die.

Pakistan currently relies in foreign aid to help give their people basic commodities for survival such as food, water, clothing and medicine. Currently, there have been a lot of countries who contributed already only that it is still not enough to alleviate the problem. The U.S. government has recently pledged $150 million along with 12 transport helicopters. Other countries such as U.K., Japan and France have offered $48.5 million, $10 million and $1 million respectively. It is sad to note that the U.S. is only able to offer so much when in fact it has spent over $100 billion just to battle Taliban forces.

The destruction to property and livelihood may have caused not only starvation to Pakistanis but also reshaped their thinking about survival. The influence brought by severe poverty may cause more Pakistanis especially the young ones to consider Islamic extremism as a primary means to survive. This in turn provides a severe threat to security for the U.S. and the weakened Pakistani government. Without ample help, Pakistanis are forced to commit crimes or even join the Taliban for relief.

The U.S. along with other nations should take this matter very seriously. If the U.S. is very much capable of spending so much money in procuring military hardware and staging many different wars, then they must also focus in saving lives and maintaining trust among the Pakistani people. International cooperation is badly needed to save millions of Pakistanis and prevent further hostilities in the region.

The U.S. Government is Cutting Military Aid to Lebanon

The U.S. has really taken a serious and active role in promoting peace and stability across the region. In the Middle East for example, the U.S. has been spending billions of dollars in foreign aid to various countries that need it. Countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Egypt are the ones that receive the most or the bigger chunk of money compared to other countries. Lebanon, for one is also a recipient of U.S. foreign aid which goes directly to the strengthening of their military.

Just recently, the chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Howard Berman, decided to suspend the financial assistance the U.S. is giving to the Lebanese Armed Forces. The military aid is estimated to be around $100 million. The reason for such suspension is based on the assumption that the Lebanese government is being highly influenced by Hezbollah militants. Hezbollah is a Shi’a Islamist political and paramilitary organization which asserts influence into Lebanese politics and government decision.

The U.S. was afraid that Lebanon might also use the aid to stage a war against Israel. As we all know, Israel is a major ally of the U.S. and absolution mutual protection is being exercised by both nations. The move by Congress was being reinforced with the recent clash between Israel and Lebanese troops near the border. The August 3 clash claimed the lives one Lebanese journalist, two Lebanese soldiers and an Israeli senior officer. Speculations of Iranian-backed Hezbollah militiamen were the cause of such a deadly skirmish.

Lebanese officials immediately condemn the suspension stating that the move will only weaken the national army which for years has been limited only to internal affairs. For years, the Lebanese Army has maintained over 60,000 troops most of which are still incapable of handling external affairs. Lebanese officials also stated that Shiite militants were in no way involved in the recent deadly clash. Whatever the reason for such unacceptable behavior between both sides, the U.S. is determined to cut military aid and protect Israel, its major ally.

Why is the U.S. sending tons of money to Lebanon in the first place? It is a given fact and we can’t deny it that the Lebanese government is definitely being influenced by Hezbollah militants. It is not a very good idea for the U.S. to support such types of government. Also, with so much financial problems the U.S. is facing internally, cutting on excess spending might very well help a lot. Foreign aid should be the least priority of U.S. government now and must focus instead with basic social services that the American people badly need. With a huge budget deficit, the U.S should rethink their priorities and remove any unnecessary spending.