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 Many are attributing the lukewarm response of the world community to Pakistan's need for aid to `donor fatigue.'
Pakistan is currently faced with the worst flood in its history which despite our best attempts cannot be blamed on any outside power, be it India or the United States. A confluence of factors led to the deluge over Pakistan; two monsoon systems arrived at the same time, intensifying the rains.
The Americans, despite not being responsible for the floods, once again came to our rescue and sent their helicopters and contributed the largest chunk of foreign aid. A friend in need is a friend, indeed. The British Government and the European Union also contributed huge amounts, and the British public collected fifty million pounds on their own. I don't remember anybody in Pakistan, what to talk of collecting funds, even condemning acts of terrorism and expressing sympathy in instances of natural disaster in the West.
Our Islamic brethren have given peanuts, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, and our South Asian neighbors proved to be totally useless in this crucial hour. Bangladesh has shown us a thumb; and I doubt if its PM has even expressed her sympathy to PM Gilani. The Maldives, despite being a rich and a Muslim country, has done nothing; Sri Lanka has also not given any assistance, although it is our major trade partner. Nepal has donated $130,000 and Afghanistan one million dollars.
India as usual acted kind of weird at this hour as well. Instead of simply giving us aid, it offered it. No other country has done this as the aid is simply handed-over. India instead dangled the five million dollar check in front of the Pakistani nation; and our foreign minister, in place of simply accepting it in the spirit of neighborhood, SAARC brotherhood, and as a peace-overture, alluded to the "sensitivities involved in the issue because of a different nature of relationship with India." If this is the level of our tolerance and relationship, then there is little hope of achieving Indo-Pak peace.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, currently consisting of eight members, has been in existence since 1985. But it is nowhere to be seen in this hour of need for one of its most important members. I would not say that it goes to show the futility of this Association but it at least proves to all of us that something important is definitely lacking in this body, and it needs to be given a proper direction to make it into a vibrant organization that can command peoples' respect and interest.
Many are attributing the lukewarm response of the world community to Pakistan's need for aid to `donor fatigue.' I think they are being polite. It is more a consequence of `credibility gap' and the lack of trust in proper utilization of aid in the past.
The world was more generous after the 2006 Earthquake but we do not have much to show as to what we have done with all the aid. We promised the residents of Balakot a new city, and not a single structure has been constructed on the new site; resultantly, all the Balakot residents continue to live in shelters for the past five years as construction of houses or any new structure is not being allowed. All of this is happening while ERRA is officiating from the luxurious environment of the PM Secretariat.
Some may justify the poor response of the South Asian countries to their poverty. We should then learn from India which declined all foreign assistance after Tsunami and the people stood on their own feet with the help of all their compatriots. There is no reason that we cannot do the same! 
The writer is a seasoned lawyer and has authored several books.
Anees Jillani is an advocate of the Supreme Court and a member of the Washington, DC Bar. He has been writing for various publications for more than 20 years and has authored several books.
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