The Pakistani government has declared the devastating floods a “national emergency” as monsoon rains continue to hit the South Asian country, killing nearly 1,000 people and leaving more than 30 million homeless.
At least 937 people, including 343 children, have died since mid-June, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and swathes of southwestern Balochistan remain inundated, reminiscent of the devastating 2010s flood.
Floods affect 30 million people
Pakistan is battling catastrophic floods, nearly a thousand dead and millions without shelter (Al Jazeera)
More than half of the casualties came from Balochistan and southern Sindh, where record rains destroyed half a million homes across the country, killing 234 and 306 people respectively. Labourer Fida Hussain Shahani – from a remote village in Sindh province – is grieving for his son who has been swept away by floodwaters.
“Yesterday, the flood waters kept rising and entered our house, my 17-year-old son was left behind as we tried to get to the higher ground, and I managed to find his body this morning,” Shahani said in the village of Shahani on Friday.
The 42-year-old said the government had not provided any relief or assistance to his family of 12, and only volunteers had come to help him.
Shahani said this year’s rainfall was unprecedented, adding, “Even in the floods of 2010, it was not that bad, we never had to leave our village, but this time, everything was destroyed.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Baz Sharif has postponed an official visit to the UK, calling on friendly countries and international institutions to provide financial support during the worst flooding in decades.
“Continued rains have wreaked havoc across the country, with damage not yet recorded but comparable to the 2010 flash floods,” Sharif tweeted, referring to the 2010 deadly floods.
Create a “war room”
More than 100 districts in four provinces were hit by floods, with the capital of Balochistan, Quetta, cut off from the rest of the country, and many highways and bridges washed away.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – where nearly 200 people were killed – relief efforts are in full swing, especially in the hardest-hit Swat and Dir districts.
“In northern KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), we are looking at Swat and Dir, where flash floods have occurred, due to There is a large population on the banks and our focus is there,” he said, adding that the Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts in the southern part of the province were also affected.
“We have successfully evacuated a large number of people and provided them with tents as temporary shelter,” said Mohammad Ali Saif.
Parts of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces could face “very heavy flooding” in the coming days, with Balochistan also facing the threat of more flash floods, according to NDMA forecasts.
Federal Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said on Thursday that a “war room” had been set up at the NDMA headquarters in Islamabad to lead the country’s relief efforts.
Lehman added that relief efforts were made difficult by “huge” rainfall as authorities were unable to reach the affected areas.
“Pakistan is going through its eighth monsoon cycle and normally, the country has only three to four (monsoon) rainfall cycles,” the minister told a news conference in Islamabad.
“Pakistan is in the midst of an unprecedented monsoon period, and the data suggest that another cycle is likely in September,” Lehman said.
The two worst-hit provinces – Balochistan and Sindh – have received 298mm and 689mm of rainfall respectively this year, about 400 percent above the 30-year average.
Climate change increases threats
Ali Tawkir Sheikh, an independent expert on climate change in Islamabad, said earlier floods were riverine in nature, but a lack of development planning and climate change contributed to the country’s recent flood-related crisis.
“In 2010, the floods were riverine in nature, meaning they mainly affected the area around the Indus and were mostly predictable, and this time, there was urban flooding,” Ali Taukir Sheikh told Al Jazeera in a telephone interview. , flash floods and floods caused by glacial eruptions.”
“The frequency of megafloods is also increasing, and climate change increases the threat.”
Ali Tao is not just about excessive rainfall, but also inadequate preparation and infrastructure. “
