Pakistan
Pakistan is trying to prevent the lake from overflowing due to flooding; UN warns of more misery
September 06, 2022
22:55
JAMSHORO (Reuters) – pakistan whipped on tuesday to widen the gap in its largest lake, to prevent it from overflowing due to unprecedented floods inundating a third of the nation of South Asia, as the United Nations warned of more misery come.
The flood caused record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in in the north affected 33 million people and killed at least 1,325 people, including 466 people. children, national The disaster management agency said.
Approximately 636,940 displaced persons people were placed in tent cities, the report said, adding that the raging waters swept away 1.6 million homes for 5,735 kilometers. of roads, railways, 246 bridges, telecommunications systems, 750,000 livestock and flooded over two million acres of agricultural land, destroying both growing and stored crops.
Cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday increased funding for cash handouts for 1.2 million hardest hit families up to PKR 70 billion ($315.32 million), its office said.
The department told the Cabinet that 81 districts out of a total of 160 people were badly affected by the flood.
Reuters drone footage over In the province of Sindh, agricultural and residential areas were completely flooded. in water, with just peaks of trees and buildings are visible.
Rice fields looked like massive lakes of several miles in diameter, aerial photography by Pakistani military showed.
Officials assessed the economic cost of losses to a minimum of 10 billion dollars.
FROM more rain expected in next month the situation may worsen, top official of The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned.
“It will raise challenges for flood surviving and likely worsening conditions for Near half million displaced peopleforced more give up your homes” said Indrika Ratvatte, a spokesperson for the agency. director for Asia and the Pacific.
RISK OF DISEASE
BUT key The concern was the freshwater lake Manchar, the largest in the country, in the province of Sindh, which was close to overflowing its banks.
“We widened the previous gap in Manchar to reduce in rising water level, “provincial irrigation minister Jam Khan Shoro told Reuters on Monday.
Already 100,000 people have been moved in efforts to prevent the lake from spilling, and hundreds of thousands more It could suffer if he exits his banks, authorities say.
region already facing danger of waterborne and skin diseases, dengue fever, snake bites and breathing problems, Azra Fazal Pechuho, health minister for southern province news briefing.
She said 856,000 patients have received treatment since the flood began. in July, mostly from the fields and mobile hospitals.
“More than 1200 of our medical facilities are underwater,” she said, adding that field hospitals receive almost 20,000 cases of diarrhea and 16,000 cases of malaria every day.
The World Health Organization has stated over 6.4 million people need humanitarian support in flooded areas.
To help drug supplies, Pechuho said, UNHCR assistance has arrived.
UNHCR works with Pakistani authorities step up humanitarian supplies, Ratwatte added. Three more UN humanitarian flights arrive on This was announced on Tuesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
RESIDENTS LAYING Plumbs
“Until yesterday there was a huge pressure on dams of the cities of Jokhi and Mehar, but people fight it out by strengthening dams”, district official Murtaza Shah said on Tuesday, adding that 80% to 90% population of cities had already fled.
The flood turned the neighboring town of Johi in virtual island like a dam built local residents back water.
“After the breakthrough at Manchar, the water started flowing, it used to be like of stagnant, ” one a resident, Akbar Lashari, said by phone after the initial breach on Sunday of Lake.
Rising waters have also The nearby Sehwan Airport flooded, civil aviation authorities said.
Floods followed record- the onset of summer heat. Pakistan and the UN blamed climate change for extreme weather and the resulting devastation.
Pakistan got almost 190% more rain than 30-year average in July-August, 390.7 mm (15.38 in) total, with southern Sindh gets 466% more rain than usual.
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