Historic monsoon rains and flooding in Pakistan have affected more than 30 million people over the last few weeks, the country’s climate change minister said on Thursday, August 25, calling the situation a «climate–induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions,» as reported by news agency Reuters.
Since mid–June, when the monsoon began, over 3,000 kilometers of road, 130 bridges and 495,000 homes have been damaged.
U.N. agency Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update on Thursday, August 25, that the monsoon rains had affected around 3 million people in Pakistan of which 184,000 have been displaced to relief camps across the country.
Meanwhile Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman told Reuters in a text message that floods affected 33 million inhabitants and added that the final homeless figure is being assessed.
TORRENTIAL RAINS THAT HAVE TRIGGERED MASSIVE FLOODS SINCE LAST MONTH has killed MORE THAN 900 PEOPLE.
Pakistan has urged the international community to help with relief efforts as it struggles to cope with the aftermath of torrential rains.
A woman in Sindh province told Reuters TV that the rain has not stopped for the past three months. «We are living in a rickshaw with our children because the roof of our mud house is leaking.»
Southern province of Sindh was hit the hardest in the last few days and had requested 1 million tents for affected people.
Funding and reconstruction efforts will be a challenge for cash-strapped Pakistan, which is having to cut spending to ensure that the International Monetary Fund approves the release of much–needed bailout money.