Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Think You're Pretty Hot? You're Probably Wrong Study finds we have inflated vision of ourselves »

Pakistanis Dig In: 'We're Scared of Losing Everything'

Thousands stay behind to safeguard what's left

By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 22, 2010 11:45 AM CDT

(Newser) – Somewhere beneath the swirling warm brown floodwaters drenching Pakistan lie the remnants of millions of displaced lives: possessions, crops, livelihoods, the ruins of homes. But even as the amount worth saving dwindles—perhaps a few bedraggled animals, cookware, or transistor radio—thousands upon thousands are digging in and refusing to evacuate, desperately determined to save what little remains.

With the corruption of public officials and the demise of an overlord system, there is literally no one to look out for Pakistanis devastated by the water—save Pakistanis themselves, reports the AP. "We're not scared of dying," a young farmer says. "We're scared of losing everything we have."

A Pakistani flood survivor girl eats food at a camp in Sukkur, Pakistan on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010.
A Pakistani flood survivor girl eats food at a camp in Sukkur, Pakistan on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010.   (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
Pakistani villager wade through a flooded street to reached an army boat arriving to rescue them in Shahdad Kot, Pakistan on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010.
Pakistani villager wade through a flooded street to reached an army boat arriving to rescue them in Shahdad Kot, Pakistan on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010.   (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villagers gather beside the floodwater reached to Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villagers gather beside the floodwater reached to Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.   (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
In this picture taken Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, a Pakistan soldier gestures to youngster as floodwater reached at Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.
In this picture taken Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, a Pakistan soldier gestures to youngster as floodwater reached at Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.   (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villagers work to reinforce the embankment to avoid flood water enter into their Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villagers work to reinforce the embankment to avoid flood water enter into their Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.   (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villagers gather beside the floodwater reached to Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villagers gather beside the floodwater reached to Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.   (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villager Mohammad Saleem walks on the rubble of a collapsed portion of his house caused by heavy monsoon rains at Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villager Mohammad Saleem walks on the rubble of a collapsed portion of his house caused by heavy monsoon rains at Hamdani Legari village near Moro, Pakistan.   (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villager Rasool Bux takes a break as he and others work to reinforce the embankment to avoid water getting into Hamdani Legari, Pakistan.
In this picture taken on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, villager Rasool Bux takes a break as he and others work to reinforce the embankment to avoid water getting into Hamdani Legari, Pakistan.   (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
11%
0%
63%
4%
19%
4%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
summerfairy
Aug 22, 2010 5:58 PM CDT
losing that personal outhouse must be a bfd for them.
Spudsy
Aug 22, 2010 12:14 PM CDT
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. -- Thoreau I don't think he was referring to natural disasters and the horrors of overpopulation though.
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne