Everyone now knows the situation in Pakistan, which became catastrophic
following the worst floods in 80 years: thousands dead, at least 20 million
people, or one tenth of the population without shelter and more than six
million without drinking water and without food. Moreover, these floods are
not over: new storms are announced in the Northwest and in Punjab, in some
northern areas and Kashmir, the rivers could overflow again.
The risks ahead are therefore huge: hunger and thirst added to cholera could
affect hundreds of thousands of people. To cope with this emergency, the UN
is already assessing the immediate needs for food, water and medicine to $
460 million.
To deal with this tragedy, the country is in a disastrous political and
administrative situation: even if they have a very sophisticated elite,
high-technology industry of exceptional researchers, it is also the 141st
country in terms of human development, and its president only main quality
is to be the widower of the courageous daughter of a charismatic leader
hanged by a previous dictator.
Moreover, it is not a country like the others: the only Muslim country with
the nuclear weapon, it is absolutely essential to world peace, so that, in
his analysis of the “Clash of Civilizations” Samuel Huntington made of a
possible alliance between Pakistan and China the worst event that could
threaten the West.
Today, in front of this tragedy, as always in case of disaster aid comes
primarily from the movements which find a political interest there; so the
Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political arm of Lashkar-e-Taiba, suspected of having
perpetrated the attacks in Bombay in late 2008, has set up a camp which has
effectively helped more than 250,000 people. Their contribution is obviously
more than welcome. Support also comes from the United States, which pledged
$ 55 million more than what they are already pouring over the country.
As for Europe, it is invisible, nonexistent, it does not seem to see that
its fate is also being played in Pakistan, on the edge of the river which
saw Alexander the Great back down. Brussels has just announced an aid of $
10 million, adding to this meager account $ 30 million, in fact diverted
from what was already planned to help people displaced by conflicts in
Afghanistan and Kashmir.
No one even speaks in his name on this subject. Neither the member countries
individually. Neither Europe as such: where is the President of the
Council, the Chairman of the Commission, the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
the Development Commissioner, the Director General of the Humanitarian Aid
Department and Civil Defense, the Chief EuropAid? At least one of them
should have rushed to Pakistan from the earliest days of the tragedy. None
did. France recently announced the shipment of 40 tons of equipment. Only
European NGOs save the honor of a continent that seems to have abandoned all
hope of playing a political role in the world. It will it pay dearly.