Pakistan declares National Emergency after 937 people die due to floods
According to the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 306 people have died from floods and rain-related incidents in Sindh Province since June 14.
FollowThe government of Pakistan has declared a national emergency after rain-induced floods have killed 937 people, including 343 children, and nearly 30 million people left homeless.
According to the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 306 people died from floods and rain-related incidents in Sindh Province between June 14 till August 25.
Following reports, Balochistan had 234 deaths, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Provinces had 185 and 165 deaths, respectively. During the current monsoon rains, 37 people were killed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while nine were killed in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
According to the NDMA, Pakistan received 166.8 mm of rain in August, compared to the average of 48 mm - a 241 per cent increase. According to the Dawn News, the worst-affected regions, Sindh and Balochistan, experienced 784 per cent and 496 per cent increases in a monsoon deluge.
According to the newspaper, the unusually increase in rainfall produced flash floods throughout the nation, especially in Pakistan's south, which is currently underwater and has 23 districts in Sindh that have been deemed "calamity-hit."
On Thursday, Sherry Rehman, Minister for Climate Change, announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had set up a "war room" at NDMA to coordinate relief efforts across the country. She stated that it has "been impossible to carry out relief operations, notably helicopter sorties," due to the "monstrous" rainfall.
While at the press meeting in Islamabad, the minister added, "Pakistan is in its eighth monsoon cycle; normally, the country only has three to four cycles of rain." She was reported by the daily as stating, "Pakistan is going through an exceptional monsoon spell, and data suggests that another cycle could arise in September."
Senator Rehman, who compared the current situation to the devastating 2010 floods earlier this week, said the current situation was worse.
In addition to coming from the north, as it did in 2010, she noted, "the water is similar or even more devastating in its sweep and destructive strength."
According to the senator, Flash floods caused by heavy rains had swept away bridges and communication infrastructure across the country. "Nearly 30 million people are homeless, with thousands displaced and without food," she said.
The minister emphasised the need for international donors' assistance, saying that the provinces' needs for shelter and relief were dire.
Sindh has requested one million tents, while Balochistan has requested 100,000, all tent manufacturers have been contacted, and external donors have been approached for tents.
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