The world heard about the floods that affected more than 20.2 million people in Pakistan last year. And the world responded.

But in 2011, the heavy monsoon rains that caused massive flooding again in parts of Punjab, Balochistan and, most notably, Sindh have been given only minimal attention by the media and the international community. Various reasons have been tossed about trying to explain this reaction (donor fatigue, scepticism about how donations are handled, government austerity measures elsewhere), but all that speculation matters little to the 8.9 million people in Sindh who have been affected.

Newsline decided to shed more light on the plight of those in flood-affected areas by getting some activists together to talk about the current situation, how it compares to 2010 and what work still needs to be done. So on October 19, in conjunction with TeaBreak.pk, Newsline organised a live online discussion on the Sindh Floods 2011. Moderated by well-known blogger and social activist Sana Saleem, the chat involved people who have worked in flood relief and rehabilitation in Pakistan in 2010 and 2011. The panellists were Dr Faraz Chaudry, Usama Khilji and Afia Salam. Another discussion held offline with Dr Awab Alvi and Karim Jindani was recorded and can be heard here via a podcast. (Short biographies on all the guests can be read here).

You can get an instant replay of the full online chat below.

The Chat Room: Session 1. Online discussion covering the 2011 floods affecting Sindh, Pakistan