The Pakistani authorities have declared a state of emergency in the country due to floods that are ravaging the country, a “climate-driven humanitarian crisis of epic proportions,” according to the government, that has already left at least 937 dead, including 343 children, and 30 million homeless.
The rains have hit the people of Sindh province in the south of the country, where more than 300 people have died since the floods began on June 14. The state of Balochistan has recorded 234 deaths, while Khyber Pakhtunjua and Punjab have recorded 185 and 165 deaths, respectively, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
According to NDMA, Pakistan 166.8 mm of rain fell in August, compared to an average of 48 mm, an increase of 241 percent. Therefore, the anomalous increase in precipitation caused flash floods across the countryespecially in the southern part of the country and especially in Sindh where more than twenty municipalities are flooded.
Climate Change Minister Sherri Rehman confirmed that a “war room” led by Prime Minister Shabhaz Sharif had been opened over the past few hours to deal with these “monstrous rains”.
“Pakistan is in its eighth monsoon cycle; usually there are only three or four cycles of monsoon rains in the country. This is unprecedented and the data we are reviewing suggests that we could go through another ninth cycle next month,” he said. .
European Union announced this Friday that it will provide 1.8 million euros in humanitarian aid to help people affected by the floods through organizations that work on the ground and seek to mitigate the effects of the monsoon rains.
This includes the provision of temporary housing, food, water, medical services and transfers. This aid is in addition to a €350,000 aid earmarked specifically for communities in Balochistan.
Pakistan calls for international assistance
Torrential rains have hit much of the country in the past 24 hours, killing at least a dozen people, including nine children, according to authorities.
The government is about to launch an appeal for international assistance, Climate Change Minister Sherri Rehman said on Wednesday.
“Given the scale of the disaster, neither the provinces, nor even Islamabad, can deal with this climate disaster alone,” he told AFP, citing “lives in danger” and “thousands of homeless people.”
(According to Europa Press and AFP)
Source: RPP
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