The catastrophic floods that caused unprecedented destruction in northwest Pakistan have left thousands of victims in a state of grief and shock over losing their relatives and life-long savings.
The catastrophic floods that caused unprecedented destruction in northwest Pakistan have left thousands of victims in a state of grief and shock over losing their relatives and life-long savings.
"I have lost my house, which was my only asset. I built it gradually during my 20 years of service," said grey-haired Ghulam Rahim with extreme dejection clearly visible on his face.
"I gathered my small savings and constructed the house but now I don't know how to rebuild a shelter for my family," Ghulam, a resident of Nakai area on the outskirts of Peshawar, said.
Ghulam said he was also worried about how long he would have to stay in a relief camp with his young daughters and elderly mother.
"We want to return to our home because no-one is comfortable living in a camp even when the government is providing us all possible facilities," he said.
Gulab Rahim, a resident of Aagra Payan in Charsadda district, one of the areas worst hit by the floods, is living in the same camp after losing his home.
"Home is home - the maxim is now understandable to me because losing one's house and living in a state of extreme poverty is a very unbearable experience," he said.
"We work for daily wages and whatever we had was inherited from our ancestors or accumulated with great difficulty over several years," Gulab said.
Gulab lost his composure and tears rolled down his cheeks while narrating his losses.
"Our whole life has passed in difficulties and we have never seen prosperity. May Allah give us happiness in the life hereafter," he murmured.
Arifa Begum, who was at a medical camp with her daughter Sadaf, said the floods struck so suddenly that she was unable to even gather up her four 'tolas' of jewellery.
"Now, I have no money and I cannot take my daughter to hospital for carrying out an ultrasound to treat her abdominal pain," she said.
Arifa said her house and all her belongings were destroyed. "We have lost everything from valuables to clothes and utensils."
A majority of the people living at the relief camp in a government school here are poor people who had lost their all belongings.
They requested the government to conduct a survey to assess losses and pay compensation so that they could rebuild their homes.
The government should also make arrangements for micro-loans on easy terms because mere compensation is not enough for reconstructing their homes, they said.
However, they were thankful to the government for providing them camps and arranging two meals a day.
"We were living on roads under the open sky with female members of the family till the government made arrangements to shift us to camps. We are extremely thankful to the authorities," Hassan Gul, a resident of the camp, said.
Meanwhile, army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani announced the "donation of one day salary of all ranks of Pakistan Army" to the prime minister's relief fund for those affected by the floods.
"Army is working at full pace and capacity to extend maximum help to the people," he said in a statement.
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