Learn 7 - Ushahidi in Pakistan for Terrorism Disaster Management

Ushahidi in Pakistan – Identification of local crisis, gathering and using information

First of All, Thanks to Evoke by where I could come to know about Ushahidi. The instrument like Ushahidi is very important and needed seriously in Pakistan in order to address lots of issues and disasters in the country. We have witnessed severe and major earth quake in Pakistan (Kashmir and NWFP) in October 2005. It recorded the 7.6 magnitude moment very similar to San Francisco’s in 1906 and Sumatra earth quake in 2009. Around 90,000 deaths and 3.5 million homeless were witnessed during that disaster in the country. Besides this there are always threat of Floods, Internal Conflicts resulting large internally displaced persons, Transport disasters and more significantly disasters in result of terrorism/terrorist attacks through suicide bombs etc.

Identification of significant disaster:

For me, Pakistan is facing serious challenges in terms of law and order and combating terrorism. Terrorism has become the routine disaster in the country may be because Pakistan is allying with the US in the war against terror. The terrorism like, attacks, killings, suicide bombs on civilians, govt. officials specially forces such as police and army is common. In majority of the situations the loss of lives and property can be minimized with proper planning and prepared ness for disaster management. Ushahdi Information System can help Pakistan to react promptly and launch immediate recovery and rehabilitation activities.

Information and resources:

With the help of Ushahidi in Pakistan, first intensity and magnitude of the disaster can be a****sed by generating information/data gathering on national catastrophe results, number of casualties geographically, damage to infrastructure, severe and drastic affects on livelihoods, populations, displacements, assets missing and information about patients and diseases.

Ushahidi can be used as a best tool for the planning a dynamic and robust disaster management structures always ready for addressing severe challenges.