Aerial view of inundated villages and croplands in Sindh. Photo courtesy Twitter
The Government of Pakistan has declared 80 districts—31 in Balochistan; 6 Gilgit-Baltistan; 17 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; 3 Punjab; 23 Sindh—“calamity-hit” due to the prevailing floods, as concerns mount about more devastation to come in the weeks ahead.
According to a report issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), authorities have commenced relief operations alongside rescue efforts, as “high flood” warnings persist along parts of the Indus River, especially between Taunsa in south Punjab and Kotri in Sindh. In Punjab, per the provincial government, the most-affected areas are the Taunsa and Jampur tehsils in Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts, as well as parts of Layyah. Satellite imagery, provided by the United Nations Satellite Center, indicates that of 793,000km2 of lands in Pakistan, around 75,000km2 appear to be affected by floodwaters, including some 48,530km2 apparent croplands.
Authorities have sounded the alarm about looming food insecurity, as initial estimates suggest more than 4 million acres of crops/orchards nationwide have been damaged, including over 35,500 acres in KP, 304,000 acres in Balochistan, around 900,000 acres in Punjab and 2.85 million acres in Sindh. There have also been significant losses to livestock, with over 733,000 reportedly killed, the bulk in Balochistan.
The NDMA said, thus far, 300 people had been rescued in Pakistan-administered Kashmir; 600 Balochistan; 50 Gilgit-Baltistan; 69,775 KP; 75,397 Punjab; and 23,554 Sindh. Meanwhile, it said, there were currently 7,000 residents of Balochistan housed in relief camps; 180 GB; 69,902 KP; 17,044 Punjab; and 533,667 Sindh.
In total, per the NDMA, over 33 million have been affected by the floods, with Sindh and Balochistan worst-hit, with 14.5 million and 9 million displaced people, respectively. Several parts of the country, especially in remote areas, remain cut off from access due to damages to infrastructure and roads. The NDMA has said 897,567 homes have been partially damaged, while 529,472 have been destroyed. In a press conference on Friday evening, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah warned that even houses that weren’t completely destroyed were in a state that made them virtually inhabitable. He also lamented that the waters were so high in parts of his province that you could no longer tell where the Sindh River started and where croplands and villages began.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, whose PPP rules in Sindh, has lashed out at PTI Chairman Imran Khan for refusing to call off political rallies at this time of crisis, urging him to “show some humanity.” In a posting on Twitter, he wrote: “Pakistan is facing biggest disaster in our history. A third of our country [is] underwater! 1/7 citizens affected, 35 million people! Ex-P.M. [Khan] is holding concerts in KP and Punjab. [Chief ministers] busy organizing his events instead of helping flood victims. Shameful, pehlay insan bano, phir siyastdan bano! (first become human, then become a politician).”
Local reporters, who have started to make their way to flood-hit areas, are now warning that the government’s estimates of the damages and casualties incurred are significantly lower than actual losses. On Friday, the NDMA raised estimated deaths from rain-related incidents since mid-June to 1,265; 557 men, 258 women and 441 children. Meanwhile, total injuries have now climbed to 12,557.
Barriers to aid
In a report, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that access remains the biggest obstacle to delivery of aid and the ability of people to evacuate to safer locations. It said 2,000km of roads and 98 bridges were damaged or destroyed in the past week alone, raising to over 5,000km the destruction of roads and 243 bridges damaged or destroyed since mid-June.
Flooding has also submerged rail tracks, cutting off links between Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab.
Concerns are also mounting over deteriorating health conditions of flood-hit populations, especially with damages to water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. Cases of diarrhea and water-borne diseases, respiratory infection, and skin diseases have already been reported. There are also concerns over the spread of dengue fever, as mosquito bites are rampant in relief camps. OCHA has estimated some 20 percent of water systems are damaged in KP; around 30 percent in Balochistan; and up to 50 percent in the impacted areas of Sindh and Punjab.
Relief efforts
Authorities say Pakistan’s armed forces have rescued over 12,923 people across Pakistan so far, distributing at least 7,380 tents, 2,495 tons of rations, 287,677 food packets and 619,226 liters of water. Additionally, the government has started to disburse cash handouts and compensation to flood victims under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). It says there are 166,525 beneficiaries in Balochistan; 138,678 KP; 161,080 Punjab; and 620,068 Sindh, with Rs. 13.7 billion of Rs. 27.2 billion planned already disbursed.
According to OCHA, 26 international NGOs comprising the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum have thus far directed around $7.5 million towards flood relief activities, reaching over 777,000 people with aid, including food rations; shelter assistance; non-food items. They have also provided nearly 62,000 people with cash assistance; 10,300 people with education support; and nearly 490,000 with health interventions.
International aid
Following the U.N. launching a flash appeal for $160.3 million to aid 5.2 million people for 6 months, pledges have been received from several countries, including $30 million from the U.S., £15 million from the U.K., $5 million from Canada, €2.15 million from the E.U., and $2 million from Australia. According to OCHA, around $9 million in additional U.N. funds are also expected to boost the $3 million rapid response allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund.
The funding is still far below what the government estimates would be required to overcome the issues posed by the floods. Earlier this week, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal warned damages incurred were in excess of $10 billion, as he urged the global community to support Pakistan in tackling the impact of climate change-induced weather events. Pakistan, contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse emissions, is on a list of 8 countries most likely to face its adverse impacts. There are now growing calls for global debt relief; deferral of loan repayments; and even reparations from developed countries whose policies are being blamed for the devastation in the country.