Pakistan declares a national emergency as the number of flood fatalities rises

Pakistan: From June 14 to Thursday, 306 people died as a result of floods and other weather-related events, with Sindh province recording the highest number of deaths.

As the rain-induced floods have so far killed 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 people died due to floods and other meteorological events (NDMA) in Sindh province between June 14 and Thursday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces recorded 185 and 165 deaths respectively, while Balochistan accounted for 234 deaths. During the recent monsoon rains, 37 people died in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while nine people died in Gilgit-Baltistan region.

In contrast to the average monthly rainfall of 48 mm, Pakistan received 166.8 mm of rain in August, which is an increase of 241%. The Dawn News reported that the worst-hit regions of Sindh and Balochistan saw an increase of 784 per cent and 496 per cent in monsoon floods, respectively.

The unusually high rainfall caused flash floods across the country, but particularly in the southern region of Pakistan, which is still under water, and designated 23 districts of Sindh as "disaster-hit", according to the newspaper. has gone.

Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has set up a "war room" at the NDMA to oversee nationwide relief efforts. It claimed that due to the incessant "monstrous" rain, it had "made it difficult to carry out relief operations, especially helicopter flights."

During a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said, "Pakistan is going through its eighth cycle of monsoon; normally the country has only three to four cycles of [monsoon] rains." He was quoted by the daily as saying, "Pakistan is in the midst of an unprecedented monsoon and the data suggest the possibility of another cycle re-emerging in September."

Senator Rahman said earlier this week that the current situation was worse than the devastation caused by the 2010 floods.

She continued, "The water is not only flowing north as in 2010, but it is equally or even more destructive in its widespread and destructive power.

The senator claimed that the flash floods caused by heavy rains in various parts of the country have destroyed bridges and communication infrastructure. She said that "around 30 million people are without shelter, thousands of them are displaced, and they have no food."

The minister stressed the dire need for assistance from international donors, saying it was in line with messages from the provinces.

He said that all tent manufacturers have been mobilized and outside donors have also been approached for tents. Balochistan requested 100,000 tents, and Sindh requested one million.

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