Urgent appeals to help the victims of the flooding in Pakistan are being made throughout the world and so too in the Netherlands. In 1953, when large parts of the southwestern province of Zeeland became flooded during severe storms, the roles were reversed. Back then appeals were made in Pakistan to help the flood victims in the Netherlands.

The flood museum in the town of Ouwekerk has a unique slide from Pakistan in its archives appealing for help for the Dutch victims. The slide, which is on a 9x9 centimetre glass plate, was shown in cinemas around the port of Karachi in March 1953.

International attention
Jaap Schoof managing director of the flood museum says the Pakistani appeal was not the only one, there was a lot of international attention for the disaster. Great Britain, Belgium and Germany were also affected by flooding during the same storm. What is remarkable is that the slide is completely intact. Mr Schoof says Pakistan donated 2,000 kilograms of tea to the Netherlands.

A total of 1834 people were killed in the 1953 flood in the Province of Zeeland. Around 72,000 people had to be evacuated for a many months.

The museum was given the glass slide in 2003 by Leo Smit from Vlissingen, who spent a number of years in Pakistan. The image is now being used for the appeal campaign to raise money for the flood victims in Pakistan.
 

Read more: Dutch floods captured on film 56 years on