Pakistan: 119 killed in 24 hours as floods inundate country
The devastating floods in Pakistan have led to 119 deaths within the last 24 hours, BBC reported. The deluge has affected 33 million people in the country with Sindh province the worst hit, where people were forced to flee their homes for safer places. Meanwhile, the government has appealed for international assistance to deal with the crisis and offered support to the people.
Death toll crosses 1,000
The death toll caused by the monsoon rains has reached 1,033 this year, BBC reported while citing data from the Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Nearly 119 people were killed in the past 24 hours, it said. Officials also compared this year's floods with the worst-ever deluge of 2010 when over 2,000 people died and nearly a fifth of the country was underwater.
Government's desperate appeal for international aid
As per officials, many countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates have sent help. However, the country needs more international support and funds, as per the Interior Ministry. "Pakistan has been grappling with economic issues, but now, just when we are about to overcome them, the monsoon disaster has hit us hard," it said.
Tweets by Pakistan's Federal Minister Sherry Rehman
Sindh worst affected, PM Sharif announces financial aid
Reports said thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as rivers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa breached their banks, triggering violent flash floods. The province of Sindh has also been severely hit, with many uprooted from their homes, reports added. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised an aid worth 10 billion Pakistani Rupee ($45 million) for the Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistan receives 251% more rains in July, August
As per the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the country received 251% more rain than the normal of 50.4 mm. It said the normal rainfall in the country for the two months of July and August was 176.8 mm. This year, the country received as much as 354.3 mm of rain between July 1 and August 26, the PMD said.
How do experts respond to the situation?
The environmentalists blame the destruction on human-caused climate change. They claimed that Pakistan is being unfairly punished for poor environmental activities elsewhere in the world. Corruption, bad planning, and rule violations, on the other side, resulted in more disasters. Pakistan ranks ninth on NGO German Watch's Global Climate Risk Index, a ranking of nations judged most vulnerable to climate-related extreme weather.
