Flash floods caused by heavy monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have forced thousands to evacuate their homes as the death toll from the ongoing disaster nears 1,000, officials say.
Key points:
- Pakistan says the death toll since mid-June is 982, with 1,456 injured
- The government has declared a state of emergency and is waiting for a quick appeal for donations of 160 million dollars planned by the UN.
- Authorities have struggled to evacuate thousands of people from flood-hit areas across the country
The updated death toll came a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif called for international help to combat deadly flood damage in the impoverished Islamic nation.
The monsoon season, which started earlier than usual this year, has hit Pakistan with particularly heavy rains, and rescuers have struggled to evacuate thousands of people from flood-hit areas.
The crisis has forced the government to declare a state of emergency.
In northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, floods destroyed the gates of a major water control system on the Swat River, causing flooding in Charsadda and Nowshera districts, said Sania Safi, a senior administrator of Charsadda.
“We anticipated the situation and warned and forced hesitant residents to leave their homes for safety and move to relief camps set up in government buildings in safe locations,” he said.
Ms. Safi said there were concerns that the Swat and Kabul rivers could rise further, adding to the misery of residents who had already suffered loss of life and property.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, floods damaged an important water control system, causing flooding in Charsadda and Nowshera districts. (Reuters: Fayaz Aziz)
In Nowshera district, local administrator Quratul Ain Wazir said streets were submerged before the gushing waters headed for low-lying areas.
“Our administration has evacuated many people and taken others to relief camps where the government provided beds and food in safe buildings,” he said.
“We will use the police to force those who hesitate to leave their homes.”
Khushal Wahab, who lives in a submerged neighborhood in Nowshera, said residents remembered the catastrophic floods that took place in 2010 and many were evacuated fearing a similar danger.
“People are afraid,” he said.
Monsoon rains have badly damaged or completely washed away thousands of houses. (AP: Arshad Butt)
The government will launch an appeal against flooding
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited a flooded region of his country on Saturday and appealed to the wealthy to help victims in poor areas.
“I appealed yesterday, and I am appealing today, to all rich people whom God has blessed with wealth … to reach out and hold the hand of suffering humanity at this difficult time,” he said.
“Today, I am here in Sujawal and I am seeing how people live in the tents here.”
Space for play or pause, M for mute, left and right arrows for search, up and down arrows for volume. Pakistan’s prime minister is asking the rich to help the country’s flood victims
Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said soldiers and rescue organizations were helping people reach safety in many districts of southern Sindh, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eastern Punjab and southwestern Baluchistan Provinces.
“Government has sanctioned sufficient funds to financially compensate the affected people and we will not leave our people alone in these difficult times,” he said.
Mrs. Aurangzeb asked rich people and relief organizations to help flood-affected Pakistanis.
In response to the call of Mr. Sharif for international aid, the United Nations is planning a quick appeal for $160 million ($232 million) in donations, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar.
He said at his weekly briefing on Friday that the appeal will be presented on August 30.
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No power, gas or communications
The picturesque Kalam Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is one of the areas most affected by rains and floods. Water from overflowing rivers has washed away entire buildings, including a landmark hotel.
“The situation is quite dire as we have no road link left with the rest of the province, we have no electricity, gas and communication network and no help is coming,” said Muzaffar Khan, the grocer of the which was razed along with many other shops.
Thousands whose homes were swept away were now living in tents, miles away from their flooded towns and villages, after being rescued by soldiers, local disaster workers and volunteers, officials said.
Thousands of homes have been swept away, and evacuees remain in tents as more rain is expected in the coming weeks. (Reuters: Yasir Rajput)
Damages that slow access to help
In Balochistan, Asadullah Nasir, spokesman for the provincial disaster management authority, said all 34 districts of the impoverished province were badly affected by heavy rains and floods.
He said road networks were destroyed and bridges washed away and relief was only possible through the deployment of helicopters, which are often unable to operate due to bad weather.
He said provincial officials had confirmed 235 dead, but the number was expected to rise significantly after communications were restored.
Evacuees wait for help on higher ground
In East Punjab province, Rajan Pur district appeared to be the worst affected along with Dera Ghazi Khan district.
Thousands of mud and brick houses were flooded, most of them completely demolished or at least partially destroyed.
Pakistani troops disperse aid to those affected by recent flash floods that have forced thousands of people from their homes. (AP: Pervez Masih)
Residents left homeless by the flood took refuge on higher ground, where they awaited relief goods and other aid.
Rahim Hasan, 52, said he lost his home and two children: a daughter and son aged 14 and 16, respectively.
“I have nothing left in my life. My house was destroyed and my children were swept away by the gushing water and now we are lying helpless on this open road where soldiers are feeding us,” he said .
The National Disaster Management Authority, in its latest nightly report, said 45 people died in flood-related incidents from Friday to Saturday.
This brought the death toll from mid-June to date to 982 with 1,456 injured.
Monsoon rains were expected to continue this week, mainly in the south and southwest. The season usually runs from July to mid-September in Pakistan.
Heavy rains and subsequent flash floods have damaged bridges and road networks across Pakistan, disrupting the supply of fruits and vegetables to markets and causing prices to rise.
Much of neighboring Afghanistan was also hit by heavy rain and flooding.
Mohammad Nasim Haqqani, a spokesman for the country’s Ministry of National Disaster Management, said at least seven people were killed in eastern Nangarhar province over a 24-hour period, and more than 600 others were rescued by helicopters from the Ministry of Defense
The seven are in addition to the 182 fatalities announced earlier in the week.
AP/Reuters
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