The small town of Kot Addu, in the south of Pakistan, was among the areas most devastated by the flood of the river Indus. It was not easy for the convoy with aid of the Community of Sant'Egidio to reach it: the journey from Lahore lasted over twelve hours on bumpy and dusty roads of the plains.

But the area, so remote as to be populated also by Hindus, a minority in the large Muslim state, could not be forgotten. Their living conditions were poor even before the flood, due to poor development of the area and to experienced discrimination.

Now people are returning to the land where they lived before the flood, but found only the poor houses ruined and the land now desolate. Some told how, to save themselves, have fled with nothing, even barefoot. It is easy to believe when you see so many children create toys with mud and straw, in the ruins of the city.

Arooj, a 9 years girl, has a fever but must take care of her younger sisters, because they are alone while the mother went to look for drinking water and something to eat.

Just her is among the first to smile and thank, when she receives a folder with the notebooks, colors and even toys. So beautiful she had never had. The distribution has reached about 1000 people, most of them children. The stocks of milk, mosquito nets and medicines will save their lives and overcome the emergency. There is no end, meanwhile, to the work of volunteers of the Community to continue to collect and distribute more aid.

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