Pakistan declares national emergency after 937 flood deaths: Since rain-induced floods have so far claimed the lives of 937 people, including 343 children. And left at least 30 million without shelter, the Pakistani government has declared a national emergency.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 306 persons died in Sindh Province between June 14 and Thursday due to floods and other weather-related accidents.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Provinces had 185 and 165 deaths, respectively, while Balochistan reported 234 fatalities. During the recent monsoon rains, 37 persons died in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while nine deaths reported in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
In contrast to the typical monthly rainfall of 48 mm. Pakistan saw 166.8 mm of rain in August, a 241% increase. The Dawn News stated that the monsoon downpour increased by 784 percent and 496 percent, respectively, in Sindh and Balochistan, the worst-affected districts.
The unusually high rainfall caused flash floods across the nation, especially in the southern region of Pakistan. Which is still underwater and has had 23 districts of Sindh designated as “calamity-hit,” according to the newspaper.
On Thursday, Sherry Rehman, the minister for climate change, said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had established a “war room” at NDMA to oversee relief efforts nationwide. It had “made it impossible to carry out relief efforts. Notably helicopter flights,” she said, because of the relentless “monstrous” rains.
During a news conference in Islamabad, the minister said, “Pakistan is going through its eighth cycle of monsoon; generally, the country only experiences three to four cycles of [monsoon] rain.”
The newspaper reported, “Pakistan is experiencing an exceptional monsoon spell and data shows the likelihood of the re-emergence of another cycle in September.”
Senator Rehman warned earlier this week that the present predicament was worse than the devastation caused by the 2010 floods.
She said, “The water is not just streaming from the north as in 2010. But it is similar or even more catastrophic in its sweep and destructive strength.
The senator said that in several parts of the nation, bridges and communication infrastructure had destroyed by flash floods. As a result, she said that “almost 30 million people are without shelter. Thousands of them are displaced, and they have no food.”
The minister emphasized the severe need for help from foreign donors, which was in line with the provinces’ messages.
She said that all tent producers had mobilized and that outside donor had also contacted for tents. Balochistan had requested 100,000 tents, while Sindh had requested one million.
