Pakistan braces for more flooding as waters flow down from north

Agencies | Islamabad                                                                        

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Southern Pakistan braced for yet more flooding on Thursday, as a surge of water flowed down the Indus river — threatening further devastation in a country where a third is already inundated — in a growing disaster blamed on climate change.

Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in the northern mountains have triggered floods that have killed at least 1,208 people (including 416 children) according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Pakistan's meteorological office predicted more rains and flash flooding for the month of September.

"Overall, a tendency for normal to above normal precipitation is likely over the country during September," the office said, in monthly outlook posted on its website, on Thursday.

The northeastern Punjab province and the southern Sindh are expected to receive above normal rainfall, it said, adding that isolated heavy downpours could trigger flash flooding.

On Thursday, the military said it had evacuated about 50,000 people — including 1,000 by air — since rescue efforts began.

The United Nations has appealed for $160 million to help with what it has called an "unprecedented climate catastrophe". Britain, on Thursday, pledged $17 million in aid.

The UK's foreign minister Liz Truss said, on Thursday, that the country had made a £15 million ($17.4 million) donation that would be used to provide water, sanitation, and shelter, as well as to protect women and girls.

"We're on a high alert as water arriving downstream from northern flooding is expected to enter the province over the next few days," Sindh provincial government spokesman Murtaza Wahab told Reuters.

Wahab said a flow of some 17,000 cubic metres per second was expected to swell the Indus, testing its flood defences.

Pakistan received nearly 190 per cent more rain than its 30-year average in the quarter from June to August, totalling 390.7mm.

Sindh, with a population of 50 million, has been hardest hit, getting 466 per cent more rain than the 30-year average.

Some parts of the province look like an inland sea, with only occasional patches of trees or raised roads breaking the surface of the murky flood waters.

'No help'

Hundreds of families have taken refuge on roads, the only dry land in sight for many. Villagers rushed to meet a Reuters news team passing along one road near the town of Dadu on Thursday, begging for food or other help.

Many are headed for urban centres, like the port city of Karachi, which has escaped the flooding (for now).

"We lost our house to the rain and floods, we're going to Karachi to our relatives. No one has come to help us," said Allah Bakash, 50, leaving with his family and belongings loaded on a truck.

The floods have swept away homes, businesses, infrastructure and roads. Standing and stored crops have been destroyed, and some 2 million acres of farm land are inundated.

The government says 33 million people, which is 15 per cent of the 220 million population, have been affected.

The National Disaster Management Authority said that roughly 480,030 people have been displaced, and were being looked after in camps but even those not forced from their homes faced peril.

"More than 3 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance and at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the most severe flooding in Pakistan's recent history," the UN children's agency warned.

Aid has started to arrive on planes loaded with food, tents and medicines, mostly from China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Aid agencies have asked the government to allow food imports from neighbouring India, across a largely-closed border.

The government has not indicated it is willing to open the border to Indian food imports.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that more than 6.4 million people were in dire need of humanitarian aid.