Pakistan flooding disaster
A third of Pakistan is underwater. Citizens remain homeless, sitting on beds outside worn tents in flooded streets strewn with litter. Pools of dirty flood water have collected and are slowing down any drainage.
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| Credit: Sky News. |
On
Friday 26 August, the National Disaster Management Authority said that more
than 900 people have been killed since June – 34 of which were in the 24 hours
prior. Just two and a half weeks later, and the death toll has surpassed 1,300.
Sadly, one in three victims are said to be children.
The
UN’s disaster relief agency Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
has stated that at least 184,000 are in relief camps. On Friday 2 September,
another 2,000 people were rescued from the floodwaters. The problem will not
simply go away.
People
in Southern Pakistan have been hit the hardest as surges of water continuing to
flow down the Indus river threatening nearby communities. 1.2 million people in
the Sindh province have been displaced and it appears that the situation will
only get worse. Mudslides and flood waters are travelling down the mountains
towards villages, with the military desperately attempting to evacuate stranded
citizens.
Only a fortnight ago, Pakistani authorities began wrestling to stop their biggest lake
from bursting its banks as the Manchar Lake, in the Sindh province, is dangerously
full. Multiple breaches so far have displaced 100,000 and submerged six different villages. Experts believe that the lake is beginning to recede.
With
thousands of lives still in despair, there is a growing concern for access to
clean water. The stagnant dirty water is now rife with waterborne diseases,
only adding to the difficulties of those affected. Unicef predicts a rise in
child deaths as a result of diarrhoea, cholera, dengue and malaria.
Government
Minister Ashan Iqbal stated how his country did not have the resources to deal
with the worst climate-induced disaster. Poorer countries like Pakistan cannot
cope with extreme rainfall due to their poor infrastructure and weak housing.
The flood is thought to have caused at least £8.5 billion in damage and has
left the country’s crops in crisis, with nearly half of the food resources
destroyed.
Pakistan’s
government with the help of the UN are now attempting to reduce any further
risk of flash flooding, with aims to install early-warning systems and
protective infrastructure. If this had been done sooner, perhaps the situation
would be starkly different.
Climate
Minister Sherry Rehman stated that the country was going through its eighth
monsoon cycle; in a normal year, the country has approximately only three to
four rail cycles. One province, Balochistan, received 436% more rain than the 30-year-average
just this monsoon season.
Unfortunately,
the flood is the latest consequence of climate change. Despite Pakistan producing
less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, its geographical location sees
it as a prime target for climate change.
The
Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) have launched an urgent appeal to help
those affected by the life-wrecking floods; 15 UK charities are also appealing
for public donations. The UK government have pledged £10 million in funding for
international aid agencies to help provide water, sanitation and shelter, as
well as to protect stranded women and girls. The government have also promised
to match pound-for-pound with the first £5 million raised by the DEC appeal.
Pakistan’s
dire situation should prove as yet another wake-up call to the rest of the
world. Climate change is creeping closer each day, especially damaging those in
poorer nations. Perhaps it will be too little too late for the Western world to
wake up and stop any further devastation and climate injustice.