An Interview with Abdur Rehman

By Brian Engelsma

The nation of Pakistan has been ravaged by floods since monsoons began in late August. At the time of this writing, an area the size of Italy has flooded as a result of these rains, with the UN estimating that over 20 million people have been affected or left homeless by the flooding. Recently I sat down with Gettysburg student and Pakistan native Abdur Rehman to discuss these events.

Brian: Tell us, Abdur, just where in Pakistan are you from?
Abdur: I am from the suburbs of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. It’s close to the Indian border. Although River Ravi flows through it, it rarely experiences flooding, because Ravi has been dry for many years.

B: Does Pakistan flood regularly, or is this an uncommon occurrence?
A: Floods occur once or twice during the year, usually during the monsoon season. However, water is only a few feet and the main reason given is inadequate or slow drainage.

B: Why are this year’s floods so bad in comparison to years past?
A: There have been unprecedented rains this monsoon season. The wildfires in Russia created a low pressure area over Pakistan which attracted heavy torrential rainfall, never witnessed before.

B: How hard will it be for the country to recover?
A: It will take many years for Pakistan to recover. The sheer scale of the disaster, with more than 16 million people displaced, more than a million homes destroyed and 7.9 million acres of productive land devastated, will take much more than just aid. According to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, it is the worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory.

B: What has the world community done to help those affected?
A: Many countries of the world have donated for Pakistan flood relief. However, the total aid pledged is still way less than that $460mln required according to the UN, so more needs to be done.

B: Is there much that the Gettysburg community can do?
A: I am planning a fundraiser so students can volunteer hours to arrange and attend it. Spreading the word, even if it means tweeting/facebooking “Text FLOOD to 27722”, can go a long way.

B: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: I hope people donate for the humanity that is suffering due to the floods despite the negative image of Islam in general and Pakistanis in particular in the US media.

Currently Abdur is organizing a fundraiser to help those affected by the flooding, if you are interested in helping you can email him at rehmab01@gettysburg.edu.