After the Flood in Pakistan 38 Berlin Geographical Papers - Freie ...
After the Flood in Pakistan 38 Berlin Geographical Papers - Freie ...
After the Flood in Pakistan 38 Berlin Geographical Papers - Freie ...
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Box 7: Rajad Mallah: Cop<strong>in</strong>g with social exclusion<br />
Rajad Mallah lives with his wife and three<br />
daughters <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> south-eastern Mallah<br />
community of Ahmed Raju. His house is built on<br />
government property and is poorly rebuild after<br />
<strong>the</strong> cyclone <strong>in</strong> 2003, compared to most houses <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> village. He also lost most of his<br />
livestock, his boat and his son dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> cyclone<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2003. Besides <strong>the</strong> personal tragedy, <strong>the</strong><br />
cyclone was economically devastat<strong>in</strong>g because<br />
<strong>the</strong> only <strong>in</strong>come source of his household is<br />
catch<strong>in</strong>g fish which he sells <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> village.<br />
Luckily he could save one water buffaloe and a<br />
fish<strong>in</strong>g net.<br />
As member of <strong>the</strong> non-native fishermen<br />
communities he faces social exclusion by <strong>the</strong><br />
dom<strong>in</strong>ant groups of villagers that result <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
denial of loans from shopkeepers and exclusion<br />
from us<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> hand pumps. His household is<br />
forced to use <strong>the</strong> brackish irrigation canal as a<br />
Source: photograph © David Kerst<strong>in</strong>g February 17, 2011<br />
Household of Rajad Mallah<br />
36<br />
source of dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water which results <strong>in</strong><br />
multiple health issues such as malaria, cholera<br />
and sk<strong>in</strong> diseases affect<strong>in</strong>g all household<br />
members. These add to <strong>the</strong> addiction to <strong>the</strong><br />
pungent betelnut mixture (pan) that is widely<br />
spread <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mallah community. Dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
time of water shortage <strong>the</strong> Mallah have to dig<br />
wells to get access to sal<strong>in</strong>e underground water.<br />
Apart from solidarity with<strong>in</strong> his community <strong>the</strong><br />
NGO <strong>Pakistan</strong> Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) provides<br />
him with support, for example bamboo sticks for<br />
<strong>the</strong> reconstruction of his house after <strong>the</strong> 2003<br />
cyclone. Still <strong>the</strong> family of Rajad Mallah is<br />
liv<strong>in</strong>g of one meal per day because he was not<br />
able to fully recover from <strong>the</strong> impacts of <strong>the</strong><br />
cyclone. The household is representative for<br />
many among <strong>the</strong> communities of fisherfolk and<br />
illustrates how social exclusion aggravates <strong>the</strong><br />
impact of a natural hazard.