Sir: Tharparkar is hit by drought after every two or three years. Being mostly desert, the area experiences a scarcity of water and food routinely. Indeed it has happened several times before. This not only becomes dangerous for children, but also for pregnant women. It is said that the livelihood of the Thari people depends upon cattle but that such famines force them to migrate to other places, endangering the cattle. The recent death toll in the area is a matter of grave concern, since the government does not seem to have done any proper planning to deal with it, which has resulted in malnutrition of many children, killing hundreds this year. The government, knowing that the area suffers from drought routinely, should have taken concrete steps to prepare for the famine. It is still not too late to ensure the safety of the Tharis and end the suffering of these poor people. There is a limit to insensitivity as well, but the PPP-led Sindh government seems to have surpassed all limits of decency. Now that the helpless and deprived Tharis are solely at the mercy of these people, one can only request and remind them that they have a responsibility on their shoulders and they should fulfil it. AJAZ DAAD Kech