Pakistanis too broken to rebuild in flood crisis

By Michael Georgy; editing by Robert Birsel and Alex Richardson
Fri Aug 27, 2010 12:04pm EDT MADYAN, Pakistan (Reuters) – Shah-e-Roon doesn’t have the energy, money or support from Pakistan’s government to help Madyan recover from floods that decimated the small town nearly a month ago. He has been walking for two days with a 20-kg (44 lb) sack of wheat on his back. Food shortages caused by the disaster have sent prices soaring and the only market he can afford is many kilometers away. “How can I think about rebuilding? I have no way of making money and I am just too tired,” said the 50-year-old farmer. Madyan, in the northwest Swat valley, looks more like an earthquake zone than a flood-stricken area. Four-storey hotels that fueled the local economy vanished. Buildings have been flattened, with cars sandwiched between slabs of concrete. Roads were dragged down and all that’s left behind are 30-meter (100-foot) dirt cliffs crumbling into a river. … Sajad Ibrahim’s father worked in oil power Saudi Arabia for 36 years to save enough to build five homes for his family. Flood waters pulverized them along with his business. “I have nothing. The government has done nothing. How can we go on like this without anyone’s help?” he said. Two soldiers have been bulldozing rocks and cement chunks in Madyan. They only cleared an area about 10 meters (33 ft) wide by 30 meters (100 ft) long in seven days. …