Thursday, March 28

Floods in Pakistan | Pakistan declares a state of national emergency after confirming almost a thousand deaths from floods


The Pakistani authorities have declared the state of national emergency due to the floods that are devastating the country, a “climate-induced humanitarian crisis of epic proportions” according to the Government, and which already leaves at least 937 dead, including 343 children, and 30 million homeless.

The rains have hit the population of the province of Sindh, in the south of the country, where more than 300 people have died since the beginning of the floods, on June 14. The state of Baluchistan has reported 234 deaths, while Jíber Pajtunjua and Punjab registered 185 and 165 deaths respectively, according to the balance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) collected this Friday by the newspaper ‘Dawn’.

According to the NDMA, Pakistan received 166.8mm of rain in August, compared to the average of 48mm, an increase of 241 percent. Consequently, the abnormal increase in rainfall generated flash floods throughout the country, particularly in the southern part of Pakistan and specifically in Sindh, where more than twenty municipalities have been submerged.

eighth monsoon cycle

The Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, has confirmed in the last few hours the opening of a “war room” headed by Prime Minister Shabhaz Sharif to deal with these “monstrous rains”.

“Pakistan is going through its eighth monsoon cycle; normally the country has only three or four cycles of monsoon rain. This is unprecedented and the data we’re looking at suggests that we could go through another ninth cycle next month,” he said.

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The European Union announced this Friday that will allocate 1.8 million euros in humanitarian aid to care for those affected by the floods, through organizations that work in the field and will seek to alleviate the consequences of the monsoon rains.

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This includes the Provision of temporary shelters, food, water, health services and transfers. This aid is added to the one sent worth 350,000 euros to specifically help the communities in Baluchistan.


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