By Ebi Kesiena
The Pakistan government has declared devastating floods a national emergency after nearly 1,000 people died and more than 30 million are without shelter as monsoon rains continue to lash the South Asian nation.
At least 937 people have died since mid-June, including 343 children, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with large swaths of the southwestern province of Balochistan remaining submerged, bringing back the memory of the devastating 2010 floods.
More than half of the casualties are from Balochistan and southern Sindh province where 234 and 306 people died respectively amid record rains that have affected half a million houses across the country.
Fida Hussain Shahani, a labourer from a remote village in Sindh, is grieving for his son who was swept away by the deluge.
“Yesterday, the flood water kept rising and entered our house. While trying to reach high ground, my 17-year-old son was left behind. I only managed to find his body this morning,” Shahani said from Shahani village on Friday.
The 42-year-old says his family of 12 has not been provided with any relief or aid from the government and only volunteers came to his help.
He said the magnitude of this year’s rains was unprecedented. “Things were not so bad even in the 2010 floods. We never had to leave our village but this time, everything is destroyed,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has postponed his official trip to the United Kingdom, as he appealed for funds from friendly countries and international institutions amid the worst flooding in decades.
“The ongoing rain spell has caused devastation across the country. The losses, though yet to be documented, are comparable to flash floods of 2010,” Sharif tweeted, referring to the deadly 2010 floods.
