Over 1,000 dead so far from floods, with worst yet to come
Authorities in Sindh, among the provinces hardest hit by the monsoons in recent weeks, expect more flooding from the north. Prime Minister Sharif compared the current situation to the 2010 floods in which about 2,000 people died. The losses could amount to up to 10 billion dollars.
Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The death toll from the floods in Pakistan has risen to more than 1,000, the National Disaster Management Authority has announced, nearly 120 people have died in the last 24 hours alone.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), since mid-June more than 2.3 million people have been affected by the torrential rains, but in recent days government officials had raised that number to at least 30 million Pakistanis, or 15% of the population, calling the situation a 'climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions'.
At least 95,000 homes have been destroyed and over 504,000 livestock have been killed. Relief helicopters are struggling to find terrain on which to land to deliver aid.
The southern provinces of Sindh and Belucistan, which have experienced above-average monsoon rains this year, are the worst affected. Sindh recorded 784% more rain than normal and Belucistan 500%.
The cause is to be found in the rising temperatures of the Indian Ocean, one of the most climate-sensitive regions in the world: rising sea temperatures combined with heat waves in May and June not only triggered the monsoons now being witnessed, but also accelerated the melting of glaciers in the northern region of Gilgit Baltistan, generating glacial flooding.
In a series of chain events, not only is it raining more than usual, but the water reserves in the Pakistani mountains on the border with India are also falling on the population.
The flooding of torrents and rivers will cause further damage in the coming days, local authorities have warned: in Sindh, the lives of thousands of people depend on the Sukkur dam, which usually diverts the course of the Indus river towards farmland, now completely flooded.
Years of neglect could mean that the dams will not hold the record volumes expected in the coming days. At the moment, all floodgates have been opened to allow the flow of 600,000 cubic metres of water per second.
In large cities such as Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which have so far been spared major damage, vegetables are no longer available, while the prices of foodstuffs that are still available have skyrocketed.
The losses could cost the country up to USD 10 billion and come at a time when the economy is already on its knees due to high inflation rates and a shortage of foreign currency.
Local officials argue that Pakistan is unfairly bearing the consequences of climate change fuelled elsewhere in the world. In the ranking compiled by the NGO Germanwatch, the country is ranked eighth most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the damage suffered so far is comparable to that of the 2010 floods, in which around 2,000 people died.
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26/10/2021 16:31
