By Rebecca Henely
An effort to provide aid to victims of the flooding that has devastated Pakistan since the July monsoon rains has been slow to emerge even though the borough is home to a substantial population from the South Asian nation.
“The number of donations are not at the level of comparable disasters,” said Shan Rehman, a Pakistani resident in Sunnyside.
The floods, which covered one-fifth of the country, have left 2,000 dead and 20 million people displaced. But despite the length and scope of the disaster, a central organization to funnel relief to the stricken is just now coming to the forefront.
In calls Times Ledger Newspapers made to Pakistani restaurants in Jackson Heights and the surrounding area, many said they were not trying to raise funds or were raising them privately.
Rehman said he was not sure why this was, although he suggested the reputation of the country could be a possibility.
“It’s hard to say,” Rehman said.
The New York Times reported that the government in Pakistan is weak and the U.S. government fears extremist groups, like Al Qaeda and the Taliban, will exploit the situation to gain favor with residents.
Tariq Hamid, owner of Shaheen Sweets & Cuisine in Jackson Heights, said getting aid to those in need has been a major concern.
“We lost trust in all of the organizations,” he said.
Hamid said that after the earthquakes in Pakistan in 2008, which hit the same Punjab province as the floods, many sent money to Pakistan but relief and rebuilding has been slow.
“No houses have been built. No schools have been built,” he said of the time after the earthquake. “Every once in a while a politician goes out and takes a photo in front of one house that has been built. What about the other 90 percent of the people?”
Rehman said many have been using the social networking website Facebook to get aid to Pakistan, partnering with groups in the country who will rent vans and drive out to the affected areas.
“There are a lot of citizens there who are doing their own thing and raising money,” he said.
One local organization that has been working to raise funds is the Edhi International Foundation, which has a New York office in Corona.
“[Edhi] is the one that everybody will vouch for and Humanity First,” Hamid said. Humanity First is a charity originating in Britain that provides disaster relief response.
Mohammad Chaudhary, manager at the Edhi International Foundation of America, said the organization has collected money to send to its head office in Karachi, Pakistan. He said Pakistani associations in Jackson Heights — particularly associations of doctors — are holding fund-raising dinners to collect money to send to Pakistan.
They are also partnering with elected officials. City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) and state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) were planning a news conference this week with the Edhi Foundation and Brooklyn’s Council of Peoples Organization about highlighting reputable aid organizations.
“The Pakistani community, they are very open-hearted here and they really want to help the community over there in Pakistan,” Chaudhary said.
Aid checks can be sent to Edhi International Foundation, 45-11 National St., Corona, NY 11368.
Reporter Connor Adams Sheets and Photo Editor Christina Santucci contributed to this article.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
