Blog Posts by Patrick Duplat

August 02, 2010 Patrick Duplat Pakistan, Asia

Torrential rains leading to floods in Pakistan have displaced hundreds of thousands of people. This new emergency has just occurred a week after the United States Congress passed the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010, which, amongst other initiatives, gives funding to refugees and displaced people in Pakistan and elsewhere. This money will make a real difference to victims in humanitarian crises.

April 06, 2010 Patrick Duplat Haiti

Aid workers can often seem jaded when confronted with the world’s misery. Many resort to cynicism, perhaps in the hope of distancing themselves emotionally from the victims of the tragedy unfolding before them. In Haiti – where an earthquake in early January devastated Port-au-Prince and left more than a million people homeless – I sensed a greater sense of empathy amongst the aid community.

January 21, 2010 Patrick Duplat Yemen, Neglected Crises
When it was revealed last month that the young Nigerian who attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound plane had trained in Yemen, the American media was immediately debating whether Yemen constituted a third front on the war on terror. (And also explaining where Yemen was, as comedian Jon Stewart humorously pointed out).
December 08, 2009 Patrick Duplat Pakistan, Humanitarian Response

The recent displacement wave in Pakistan forced up to 2 million people out of their homes in less than 6 weeks. Most of the displaced stayed out of camps but with host families. Relatives, friends and even perfect strangers who lived in the lower lands of Mardan and beyond, opened their doors to help out their fellow Pakistanis from the mountainous valleys of Swat and Buner. It is a testament to the hospitable nature of the Pashtuns, without which this humanitarian crisis could have had far greater consequences.

October 28, 2009 Patrick Duplat Congress, Pakistan, U.S. Administration, Humanitarian Response

“When they realize you’re a Mehsud, they treat you like a suicide bomber who’s wearing an explosive jacket.” -A displaced Pakistani from South Waziristan, quoted in Dawn