Pakistan declares a national emergency as the death toll from flooding rises to 937

Pakistan floods: The Pakistani government has declared a national emergency after rain-induced floods have killed 937 people, including 343 children, and left at least 30 million people homeless. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 306 people died as a result of floods and rain-related incidents in Sindh Province between June 14 and Thursday (NDMA).

Balochistan had 234 fatalities, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Province had 185 and 165 deaths, respectively. During the current monsoon rains, 37 people were killed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while nine people were killed in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. According to the NDMA, Pakistan received 166.8 mm of rain in August, compared to the average of 48 mm, a 241 percent increase. The monsoon deluge increased by 784 percent and 496 percent in Sindh and Balochistan, respectively, according to the Dawn News.

The unusual increase in rainfall caused flash floods across the country, particularly in the southern part of Pakistan, which is still inundated, with 23 districts in Sindh declared “calamity-hit,” according to the newspaper. Sherry Rehman, Minister for Climate Change, announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a “war room” at NDMA to coordinate relief efforts across the country. She stated that the “monstrous” rainfall had “made it difficult to carry out relief operations, particularly helicopter sorties.”

“Pakistan is in its eighth monsoon cycle; normally, the country only has three to four cycles of [monsoon] rain,” the minister said at a press conference in Islamabad. “Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented monsoon spell, and data suggests that another cycle could emerge in September,” she was quoted as saying by the daily. Senator Rehman, who earlier this week compared the current situation to the devastating 2010 floods, said the current situation was worse.

“Not only is the water flowing from the north, as it did in 2010, but it is equally or more devastating in its sweep and destructive power,” she added.

Flash floods caused by heavy rains, according to the senator, had swept away bridges and communication infrastructure across the country.

“Nearly 30 million people are homeless, with thousands displaced and without food,” she said. The minister emphasised the need for international donors’ assistance, saying that the provinces’ needs for shelter and relief were dire. Sindh has requested one million tents, while Balochistan has requested 100,000, she said, adding that all tent manufacturers have been contacted, and external donors have been approached for tents.