CHARITY distribution events are a common occurrence during Ramazan, with both individuals and institutions distributing food and other items to the needy during the fasting month. But lack of planning can often turn wellintentioned exercises into disasters. Two women died during a charity food distribution event organised by a marriage hall owner in Karachi`s Gulshan-i-Iqbal area on Monday. Ration packages had been arranged for 250 deserving families yet things got out of control when around 3,000 to 4,000 women turned up at the venue. The death toll was mercifully lower than 2009`s Khori Garden tragedy, in which around 20 women died in a stampede during a similar charity exercise in Karachi`s old city area. Monday`s event was obviously mismanaged as the organisers did not inform the authorities while no arrangements were made to post women volunteers or police officers who could have helped in crowd control. Havinglarge numbers of people gather in a congested or closed space where supply of charity goods is limited and demand is far too great is a recipe for disaster. The tragic event is also an indicator of how widespread poverty is in society. Many families who find it difficult to make ends meet grab hold of any opportunity to help put food on the table. Yet the mode of distribution at such charity events is questionable not only from a safety standpoint, but also because it is against human dignity. The philanthropic spirit of Pakistanis must be appreciated, but there should be more tactful ways to distribute charity. Philanthropists must make proper arrangements for distribution; perhaps a better idea would be to deliver food packages to needy families at their homes instead of making people form queues in public. Or funds could be channelled through reputable charities working towards the alleviation of poverty and hunger.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 08:43:40 +0000
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