The United Nations launched an international appeal to raise $160 million to help Pakistan to cope with the aftermath of heavy rains that have killed more than 1,100 people in the country.
“This colossal crisis calls for urgent collective action to help the government and people of Pakistan,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video posted on his official Twitter profile, adding that “millions of lives” have been “destroyed.”
Referring to the destruction caused by massive flooding, the Foreign Minister PakistanBilawal Bhutto Zardari, explained that the support and solidarity of the international community will contribute to alleviating the suffering of people affected by floods and restore your life.
“The appeal gives priority to specific measures in the areas of education, food security, agriculture, health, nutrition, protection, housing, non-food items, water, sanitation and cleaning,” the Pakistani foreign minister explained, according to the portal. pakistani observer.
The UN estimates that 6.4 million people are in need of immediate assistance. Since June, floods have forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes and live in camps or with host families.
It has rained in Pakistan, which is almost three times the average for this time. According to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in areas such as Balochistan and Sindh, current figures are five times higher than normal. UN.
Authorities estimate that more than a million homes suffered some form of damage, including more than 300,000 houses that were completely destroyed. More than 735,000 cattle were also lost and nearly 3,500 kilometers of roads were damaged.
Pakistan declares national emergency
The Pakistani authorities have declared a state of emergency in the country due to the floods that are devastating the country. According to the government, this is “a climate-induced humanitarian crisis of epic proportions.” To date, some 937 people have died, including 343 children, and 30 million have been left homeless.
The rains have affected the population 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).
Pakistan received 166.8mm of rain in August compared to an average of 48mm, up 241 percent, according to the NDMA. Consequently, the abnormal increase in rainfall caused flash floods throughout the country, especially in the southern part of the country and especially in Sindh, where more than twenty municipalities were flooded.
(According to Europa Press and AFP)
Source: RPP
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