ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Wednesday urged the international community and philanthropists to help with relief efforts as it struggles to cope with the aftermath of torrential rains that triggered massive floods, killing more than 900 people.
According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), heavy monsoon rainfall and floods have affected some 2.3 million people in Pakistan since mid-June, destroying at least 95,350 houses and damaging a further 224,100.
Sindh in the southeast and Balochistan in the southwest are the two most affected provinces. More than 504,000 livestock have been killed, nearly all of them in Balochistan, while damage to nearly 3,000 km of roads and 129 bridges have impeded movement around flood-affected areas.
July’s national rainfall was almost 200% above average, Sardar Sarfaraz, a senior official at the metrological office told Reuters on Wednesday, making it the wettest July since 1961.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, in a Twitter post, revealed that over 900 people have died and thousands of people have been displaced due to floods, adding that a “humanitarian crisis” had arisen across the country.
The main supply route from the port city of Karachi has been cut for more than a week after a bridge linking it to Balochistan was swept away, while dozens of small dams in the province were overwhelmed.
‘Humanitarian crisis’
“The situation is changing every day on the ground; our death toll has gone up to 903, thousands are homeless without shelter without flood,” Rehman told Becky Anderson in an interview to CNN.
“We have monsoons every year…it is nothing like this. This is torrential downpour of biblical proportions,” Rehman said, adding that it is a serious “humanitarian disaster”.
“The cities aren’t geared for the type of climate resilience that is required for this consistent torrential downpour,” she added.
On the other hand, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Ahsan Iqbal, in a press conference, said that the federal government has also appealed to the international development partners for assistance, so the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by the flooding can be started once the water recedes.
In Sindh, the government closed all educational institutions in anticipation of fresh rain forecast for Wednesday and Thursday and an airport in the Nawabshah district remains closed with the airfield almost fully submerged.
Heavy rain continued to pound much of Pakistan, including Peshawar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pishin, Khuzdar, Quetta, Chaman, Khairpur, Sukkur, with authorities reporting more than a dozen deaths — including nine children — in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, on the instructions of KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan an emergency has been declared in Tank.
Prime Minister Relief Fund Account
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb requested the nation to donate money for the rain-affected areas in the Prime Minister Relief Fund Account 2022.
“All commercial banks and their branches can collect donations in the Prime Minister Flood Relief Fund 2022 as per State Bank of Pakistan circular,” she said, adding that overseas Pakistanis can also send donations through wire transfers, money service bureaus, money transfer operators and exchange houses.
Sindh sets up relief fund
Amid a dire need to help flood-hit people, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, in a televised message, urged philanthropists to come out and help the affected people of the province which is “enduring a catastrophe like never before.”
Sindh government has announced the Sindh Flood Relief Fund for affectees of the ongoing torrential rains and flooding in the province, a notification issued by the provincial finance department read.
The fund has been initiated to seek financial support for victims in the province hit hard by extreme weather patterns.
Donations for the fund will also be made through net monthly salaries of ministers including Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah, PPP’s provincial assembly members, advisors, CM’s special assistants, Parliamentary secretaries, officers, and officials.
“We are trying to arrange tents, mosquito nets, beds, edibles, medicines, and other items for affectees,” he said, ensuring the provision of all essential items within a few days.
“Philanthropists, welfare organisations, and donor agencies should visit Sindh to assess the situation and provide support to distressed people,” he said, also requesting affluent citizens to come forward to support victims.
It is a climate catastrophe of epic scale, bringing in its wake the humanitarian crisis that could well match the magnitude of the big flood that was witnessed in 2010. At this point both sides of the Indus are flooded in Sindh which is the current epicentre of the calamity. Shelter is dangerously impacted in the 30 districts of Sindh, and even in Balochistan, and now the same kind of speed and velocity of water is being experienced in South Punjab.
People are adrift, livestock and crops are damaged. It is a humanitarian disaster of unprecedented monsoon proportions.”
Further apprising on the situation in Sindh, she highlighted, “The torrential rains have been unprecedented in Sindh right now, Balochistan, Dera Ghazi Khan too are at risk. Given the scale of the disaster, there is no question of the provinces or even Islamabad being able to cope with this magnitude of climate catastrophe on their own. Lives are at risk, and thousands are homeless. It is important that international partners mobilise assistance. The Indus is in high floods where the flow of over 600,000 cusecs is expected to cross Guddu and then Sukkur Barrages on 23rd and 24th of August, 2022 which will bring all the Katcha area along Indus under water, displacing thousands of families. This is in addition to the current displacement. In terms of precious human lives, 216 lives have been lost to the floods in Sindh.
An estimated 1,500,000 katcha houses have been damaged and crops cultivated on 1,989,868 acres have been completely destroyed in Sindh. And with the new monsoon spell setting in, other areas in the country, especially DG Khan will remain vulnerable to hill torrents.”
Stressing the need for urgent and immediate relief measures, Minister Rehman said, “The current climate catastrophe needs immediate International and national mobilization of humanitarian efforts, not just in the form of food, shelter and basic survival amenities but we need to amplify our rescue efforts.
The NDMA, Pakistan Army, along with the provincial governments are tirelessly involved in dealing with this climate crisis. But lack of resources is a huge challenge. It is important to coordinate the needs of calamity hit areas and triangulate with development partners and donors. A concerted and well-coordinated effort is required to deal with this climate emergency that our country faces at present.”
