POLICE Department

Officers in Action

Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi

The extent and impacts of the recent floods in Pakistan are huge in every context. The floods that began on the country’s northern border reached the Arabian Sea in the south creating an even more massive displacement of people that rivals the one that began in the north. Millions of acres are swamped and the hundreds of thousands of those seeking shelter rises every day. U.N. states that the disaster has left a fifth of the country under water and affected an estimated 17 million people.

Houston Police Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi, on his own time and money, recently had an opportunity to travel to the affected areas and the honor to be able to help the victims in some parts of the country. He stated it was heart wrenching to see many millions having lost crops and their livelihoods leaving them defenseless against hunger. Thousands are homeless and desperate for help. Officer Siddiqi further stated that what was the hardest to escape was the plight of young children who now reside in temporary shelters, with no access to clean water or health care and often surrounded by contaminated flood water. These children are living in poor environmental and hygiene situations in affected areas that show no signs of improvement. International healthcare agencies are concerned that if the situation does not improve, coupled with limited availability of safe drinking water and better access to health services, the risk would be potentially fatal with acute waterborne diseases cases in coming days. It is a serious race against time for the children of Pakistan affected by this flood as the global community slowly moves in to deliver supplies to the affected populations.

Although Officer Muzaffar Siddiqi is one man, he did what he could, and we here at the Houston Police Department commend our brother in blue.