I am deeply concerned about the situation in Pakistan at the moment. Widespread flooding due to unusually heavy monsoon rains across Pakistan has so far claimed the lives of up to 1,600 people, with over 1,000 injured, according to the Government of Pakistan and the UN.
These same sources estimate that almost 14 million people have been affected by the flooding. This figure is higher than the number of people affected by the 2005 South Asia tsunami (five million), the 2005 South Asia earthquake (three million), or the 2010 Haiti earthquake (three million).
The estimate of homes destroyed or seriously damaged — 290,000 — is almost the same as those destroyed in Haiti. According to OCHA spokesperson Maurizio Giuliano, between 6 and 7 million are in immediate need of food and other items.
ActionAid’s own staff in Pakistan have commented that “Roads and bridges have been washed away or badly damaged in the Swat Valley. The only way to get to the worst affected, far flung areas is by walking over difficult and slippery mountainous path. Continuing rains make it even more challenging, especially for women. Electricity and communication systems are disrupted and it will take a long time for the effects of such a large scale disaster to settle. With new flood warnings coming in, government and aid agencies will have to scale up their response.”
One of my colleagues in Kot Adu (District Muzaffargarh) has told us that he could see “people sitting on roof tops waiting for rescue and relief. They had not had water or food for more than 24 hours. Women and children were in a miserable state.
