Flash floods triggered by destructive monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have killed more than 1,000 people and injured and displaced thousands more since June, officials have said.
The new death toll came a day after the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, asked for international help in battling deadly flood damage. More than 33 million people have been displaced.
The government has declared an emergency to deal with monsoon flooding, which began in June and continues to wreak havoc in Pakistan.
In response to Mr Sharif’s appeal for international aid, the UN planned a $160 millon (€160 million) flash appeal for donations, according to a foreign ministry spokesman. He said the appeal would be launched on August 30th.
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The National Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday that 119 people had died in the previous 24 hours as heavy rains continued to lash parts of the country. That brought the death toll since mid-June to 1,033 with at least 1,456 injured.
The authority’s report the previous day said 45 people were killed in flood-related incidents from Friday to Saturday.
Many parts of Pakistan have become inaccessible, and rescuers are struggling to evacuate thousands of marooned people from flood-affected areas. Balochistan and Sindh provinces are the worst-affected areas.
Local media reported late on Saturday that the Kach dam near Ziarat city, 128km from Quetta, Balochistan’s capital, had broken due to heavy flooding — putting lives of local residents at risk. Other dams in the area have also reportedly been damaged.
There were also reports that protesters had blocked the Indus Highway, the only safe passage between Hyderabad and Karachi and northern Sindh and the rest of Pakistan at Naseerabad. The protesters claim the local legislators have endangered the population by diverting floodwater.
Three people were killed as a result of landslides and floods in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and the authorities in Nowshera asked for immediate evacuations amid a “very high flood” in the Kabul River.
Videos shared on social media showed bridges, roads and hotels sinking into water and people running to evacuate their homes. The army has been called in for rescue help in the province.
Former prime minister Imran Khan has been under severe criticism for a planned rally on Saturday in Jhelum, in the north of Punjab province. Mr Khan was also criticised for refusing to collect funds for flood relief during his visit to flood-affected areas. Mr Khan said he could only appeal for funds after an assessment of losses.
Pakistan’s information minister, Mariyam Aurangzaib, said the prime minister was with the flood victims, including the coalition government representatives.
She said: “Imran Khan refused to raise funds for flood and doing political fundraising and has called for political gatherings. No politician anywhere in the world has acted like this in the middle of a national emergency in a way Imran Khan is acting. This is sad.”
After the criticism, the PTI leader, Asad Umar, a close aide of Mr Khan, tweeted: “Tomorrow Imran Khan will be holding a telethon to raise funds for flood relief efforts. Details will be announced later today.” — Guardian