Sunday, October 3, 2010

Pakistan’s distinct disasters

World Worst Disasters
A logician knows you can’t compare disasters. They also know that most people do. This week will be no exception.

On October 8, 2005, humanitarian aid crews responded to a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the Kashmir region of Pakistan. 5 years later, we mark the grim anniversary with more crews in the country attending to people displaced by flooding.

Logo-emblazoned rations and emergency tents serve as reminders of the earthquake. Not that people need any. In January, a bus containing the remains of 18 people was unearthed from rocks at the side of a road. They were identified through documents they carried and the Kashmir region mourned once more.

There are more than just physical reminders. Last month a new study detailed attitudes of Pakistanis in Kashmir towards Americans. In the areas most hard-hit by the earthquake, more than 60 % people said they trust Europeans and Americans. Just 40 kilometers out, attitudes more reflect the national average of one in six Pakistanis describing the U.S. as an enemy.

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