New Delhi: The Government of Pakistan has declared a national emergency due to the floods. So far 937 people have lost their lives, including 343 children, due to floods after heavy rains.
Due to this, the houses of at least 3 crore people have been destroyed. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Sindh province has recorded the highest number of deaths at 306 due to flood and rain-related incidents from June 14 to Thursday.
Sindh and Balochistan most affected
Balochistan reported 234 deaths while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab province recorded 185 and 165 deaths respectively. 37 people died in Gilgit-Baltistan region during the current monsoon rains in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
According to the NDMA, Pakistan has received 166.8 mm of rain in August. While an average of 48 mm rain was recorded. This is 241 percent more than before. According to the Dawn news report, the worst-hit Sindh and Balochistan have seen an increase of 784 per cent and 496 per cent respectively.
Disaster affected 23 districts of Sindh
The unusual increase in rainfall caused sudden floods across the country, especially in the southern part of Pakistan, the newspaper reported. 23 districts of Sindh have been declared as disaster affected.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman on Thursday said a war room set up by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the NDMA will lead relief operations across the country. He said incessant rains have made relief operations difficult. There are difficulties in delivering relief materials by helicopter.
Pakistan witnessing 8th monsoon cycle of monsoon
The minister said during a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan is going through its 8th cycle of monsoon. Normally there are only three to four cycles of monsoon rains in the country. Senator Rahman said that the current situation is even worse. This situation is worse than in 2010.
According to the senator, the flash floods caused by heavy rains washed away bridges and communication infrastructure in various areas of the country. About 30 million people are without shelter, thousands of them displaced and have no food. Sindh has asked for one million tents and Balochistan has asked for one lakh tents.
