Pakistan Struggles With Floods' Aftermath

Pakistan redeployed thousands of troops for rescue and relief work in remote mountainous villages where at least 1,100 people died in weekend flash floods and landslides, as public anger mounted against the government over its handling of the disaster.On Monday, army helicopters dropped food parcels to thousands of people. While the rain has stopped and the weather has improved, large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province remain submerged. Relief agencies said the situation could worsen, as rain is forecast for later this week. Troops, who had been fighting Taliban militants, and relief workers struggled to reach people trapped by floodwater as bridges, roads and even entire villages had been swept away. An army spokesman said 28,000 people have been rescued but thousands of others were still stranded with no access to relief supplies. Water supplies have been contaminated by the floods, raising serious concerns about the spread of diarrhea and other diseases. Relief workers said there have been reports of a cholera outbreak in some areas of the Swat Valley. The region, which isn't fully recovered from bloody fighting between the Taliban militants and the army last year, is the worst affected by the disaster.The devastation has hit the region at a time when a weak and unpopular Pakistani government has been struggling to cope with a faltering economy and a war against Taliban militants that has killed thousands of people in the past few years. The government's response to the disaster drew a protest of several hundred people in Peshawar, the regional center, where homeless survivors crammed into temporary shelters. Many people complained that there hasn't been an adequate arrangement of food and medicine. Much of the public anger is directed against President Asif Ali Zardari, who left for a weeklong visit to France and Britain on Sunday, despite calls from the opposition leaders to cancel the trip. Mr. Zardari's trip has provoked intense public criticism. "The president has sent a very bad signal to the people by staying out of the country for almost 10 days, when the country faces such a huge calamity," said Raffat Hussain, a professor at the strategic studies department of Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad. "His visit to Britain after Mr. Cameron pointed accusing fingers at Pakistani army and the ISI for exporting terrorism, will further outrage the people." U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron drew fire in Pakistan last week when, during a trip to India, he accused Pakistan of exporting state-sponsored terrorism and of not doing enough to combat terrorism on its soil. On Monday, Pakistan's foreign minister summoned Britain's envoy to Islamabad to seek an explanation for Mr. Cameron's comments. Pakistani newspapers have focused on the cost of accommodating Mr. Zardari during his stay in London. "This money could have been saved for the people affected by the flooding," said The News, an English language national newspaper. The president's supporters deny that the president's trip would affect the government's relief efforts. "The government is doing everything to help the flood victims and the president's absence from the country would not make any difference," said Farahnaz Isphani, a spokeswoman for Mr. Zardari. She said the president's visit to Europe was important for enhancing counterterrorism cooperation with European countries. Some Islamic militant groups have become active in the disaster areas. Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which the U.N. has declared a front for terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, has opened several relief camps in the northwest and the part of Punjab province hit by the flood. "We are distributing food and providing medical help among the victims," said Yahya Mujahid, a JuD spokesman. Lashkar-e-Taiba is widely held responsible for the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.