Lagatar24 Desk
Islamabad, Aug 26: The death toll due to 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 Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Sindh Province saw the largest number of fatalities from June 14 to Thursday, with 306 people dying as a result of floods and other weather-related accidents.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Province 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 were reported in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
In contrast to the typical monthly rainfall of 48 mm, Pakistan experienced 166.8 mm of rain in August, a 241% increase. The Dawn News stated that the monsoon deluge increased by 784 percent and 496 percent, respectively, in Sindh and Balochistan, the worst-affected districts.
The unusually high rainfall caused flash floods throughout the nation, but especially in the southern region of Pakistan, which is still under water and has had 23 districts of Sindh designated as “calamity-hit,” according to the newspaper.
The senator claimed that in several parts of the nation, bridges and communication infrastructure had been destroyed by flash floods brought on by severe rainfall. She stated that “almost 30 million people are without shelter, thousands of them are displaced, and they have no food.”
The minister emphasised the severe need for aid from international donors, stating that this was in line with the provinces’ messages.
