Профиль участника
Г-жа Mehwish laghari
Организация:
pakistan fisherfolk forum
Страна:
Пакистан
Область (области) знаний:
I am working on:
Human rights Small grants project as a Project Manager
Г-жа Mehwish laghari
Food and climate justice has been a major issue of coastal communities in Pakistan. The community is vulnerable to both food insecurity and climate change impacts. Sindh despite being the richest in natural resources is a highly food insecure province in Pakistan. No legal tool or law is available ensuring food security to the people in Sindh
Despite having 14 million acres under crop cultivation in Sindh, over 71 per cent of households in the province are food insecure — the highest level of food insecurity among the provinces and region. Of these food insecure households, 34pc are food insecure with moderate hunger and 17pc are food insecure with severe hunger, according to a report drafted by the provincial planning and development department.
Not only agriculture but fishing communities are suffering an epidemic of disability in Karachi, Thatha, Sanghar and Jamshoro. Researchers say malnutrition is the cause. Hence, the government must be blamed for visiting this calamity on them. There has been no policy for fishing in the country. This is what has made life and livelihoods impossible for the fisherfolk.
According to the Health & Nutrition Development Society (HNDS), the fisherfolk have the highest number of disabled persons per union council. The HNDS carried out a survey of 11,014 households and found 5148 suffered disability. Children are the main victims. The research studied 3460 households in Landhi, 3304 households in Rehri and 4250 households in Ibrahim Hyderi. Results shocked everyone. Some 2250 were identified as disabled in Rehri, 1286 in Ibrahim Hyderi and 1612 in the Landhi union council.
Persons with disabilities (PWD) comprise 15% of the total population in Pakistan, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Families normally hide disability due to the social stigma attached. Parents also fear their child might be abused outside. Children are kept at home to ensure safety. Families want to avoid community reactions. So data collection is difficult. Perhaps that is why the Pakistani authorities give a lower figure.