Over 30 million Pakistanis have been impacted by floods: minister

KARACHI:

The climate change minister stated on Thursday that the recent historic monsoon rains and flooding in Pakistan had had an impact on more than 30 million people, describing the situation as a "climate-induced humanitarian calamity of epic proportions."

Pakistan has pleaded with the international world to support relief efforts as it battles to deal with the fallout from torrential rains that caused huge floods that have claimed almost 1,000 lives since last month.

Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman stated that "33 million have been affected, in various ways; the final homeless count is being determined."

She continued by saying that the southern state of Sindh, which has been severely impacted recently, had asked for 1 million tents for displaced people.

Senator Sherry Rehman said,

Now is the time to help your fellow citizens: #PakistanFloods

People are moving to higher land because the south of Pakistan is nearly completely submerged in water, she claimed.

This is not the responsibility of one country or one province; it is a calamity caused by climate change, she continued. "Needs assessment is being done, and we have to make the UN's international flash plea."

Also read: Won't rest until every last one of flood-impacted is restored: COAS

Separately, Ahsan Iqbal, the minister of planning and development, claimed that 30 million people—roughly 15% of the nation's population—had been impacted.

In an update released on Thursday, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the UN said that the monsoon rains in Pakistan had affected about 3 million people, of whom 184,000 had been forcibly relocated to relief camps across the nation.

Senator Sherry Rehman said on twittter

This @pmdgov office data should speak to what’s going on: for the month of August the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan showing large deviations from average expected rainfall. Our cities not designed for such torrential downpours without a break.

In order to get the International Monetary Fund to approve the release of vital bailout funds, cash-strapped Pakistan must reduce spending. This will make funding and reconstruction activities difficult.

In a study, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that over 82,000 dwellings had suffered partial or total damage, and 150 kilometers of roads had been damaged nationwide in the previous 24 hours.

According to the most recent situation assessment from the NDMA, which was supported by the OHCA report, over 3,000 kilometers of roads, 130 bridges, and 495,000 dwellings have been damaged since the start of the monsoon.

"The rain continues to fall."

This damage is concentrated primarily in Sindh, a province in southern Pakistan.

"Brother, it has been pouring for the last three months. Our mud house's roof leaks, so we and our children are currently living in a rickshaw "Reuters TV in Hyderabad was informed by a mother who wished to remain unnamed.

Several sections of Pakistan had received flood, river overflow, and landslide alerts, and heavy rain was predicted for the majority of the nation over the next two days, according to OCHA.

She spoke while sitting in the rickshaw with three of her kids "Where can we travel? Our courtyard is overflowing with sewage, and the gutters are overflowing. Our homes and lanes have been transformed into floating trash cans."

Rehman claimed that Balochistan had received over 500% more rainfall than usual for August, while Sindh had received "784%" more rainfall.

According to her, 23 districts in Sindh have been designated as catastrophe struck.