Oakville woman worried about her family in Pakistan as floods devastate her ancestral home

An Oakville woman is worried about her family in Pakistan, where floods have ravaged a third of the country, including the village where her relatives live.

Noor Jehan Jatoi, who came to Canada in 2001, told CBC Torontoher village of Beto, which is intheDadu District of Sindh province in the country's southwest, is one of thousands swamped bycatastrophic floods brought on by an unprecedented monsoon season.

"The whole of Sindh is drowned. A lot of people, farmers, have died, children," said an emotional Jatoion Friday.

Flash flooding haskilled more than 1,000 people since late June, sweepingaway villages and crops. The Pakistani government has said approximately one third of the country isunder water, affecting 33 million people.

Jatoi'ssister and brother, his wife, his son, daughter-in-lawand others, havesought shelter and continueto communicate via WhatsApp, sending photos and videos. Jatoigets emotionalwhen she thinks about her family and her nativecountry. Her ancestral home, the crops and farmland, are gone.

"We're agricultural people, we have just our crops, rice crops, but everything is gone. It's very sad," she said through tears.

Showing CBC Toronto videos sent by her nephew, she expressed frustration and disappointment over what she says is Pakistani government mismanagement.

Sheandfriends and family who live abroadhave tried to send money, but it has trouble getting to where it's neededor the Pakistani government rejects it outright, she said. Access to the village is impossible as the major road leading to there is also destroyed, Jatoi said.

"You sit and cry and pray;that's all we can do," she said.

Local imamjoinsrelief effort

Meanwhile, a Mississaugaimam who works with the Pakistani community is headed to the flood zone to help with relief efforts.

"We're going to be landing in Lahore and taking a five-hour drive to the devastated area to give some relief aid," Alaa Elsayed said. He said heand a team of volunteers will visit three cities.

Elsayed saidafter working with the Pakistani community for so many years,seeing the devastation hard to bear. He's received several calls from people asking for help and prayers for their family members back in Pakistan.

"It's sad, disheartening," he told CBC Toronto.

"We have them in our prayers;we're goingbe there for them."

While he said he applauds the Canadian federal government's announcement of $5 million inaid for Pakistan, he also saidOttawa needs to do more.

"We appreciate what they do, but let's try to do better."