“Epic Proportions” – Desperate Escape From Pakistan’s Next Flood

In Pakistan, devastating floods have killed more than 1,200 people since mid-June. According to government figures, in the country of about 220 million inhabitants, more than 33 million people are affected in three of the four provinces. In addition, the rain continues in some places.

The preparations are in full swing
Preparations are currently underway in the German Ministry of Development to support Pakistan by the millions, it said Friday. Ministry representatives have therefore already contacted Pakistani government authorities to clarify how and in which areas assistance can be provided.

Monsoon rain three times heavier than average
It’s monsoon season in the South Asian country, but rainfall of this magnitude hasn’t fallen for decades. According to the UN, monsoon rains were three times heavier than the average of previous years. Homes and possessions were swept away by the floodwaters within minutes. With many bridges and thousands of kilometers of roads destroyed or damaged, the distribution of aid was difficult.

In the southern province of Sindh, the Indus River, which rises in the Himalayas, flows into the Arabian Sea and flows through the region, overflowed its banks last week. Thousands of soldiers, rescuers and volunteers were deployed Friday, some with boats and helicopters, to rescue residents.

“Race against the clock”
“It’s a race against time,” provincial government spokesman Murtaza Wahab said of the evacuation efforts. TV footage showed people on rooftops trying to wave to rescuers. Others waded through medium-deep water in search of solid ground. “We are trying to reach the people who are still in the middle of the water without food or shelter,” said Rustam Jamali, a volunteer from Dadu city.

Meanwhile, in northern Pakistan, where places are still under water even a week after the last rains stopped, thousands were also left without food and shelter. “It’s like being refugees in our own villages. We can’t walk a few hundred yards home,” said a Swat Township resident.

Humanitarian situation likely to deteriorate soon
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, 16 million children are in need. According to the UN, 18,000 schools have been destroyed or damaged across the country. Many of the 72 worst-affected districts were among the poorest in the country even before the disaster, UNICEF representative for Pakistan Abdullah Fadil said, and 40 percent of the children there had developmental delays. “Many are especially at risk, without a roof over their heads, without school and without clean drinking water.”

UNICEF has started to set up safe rooms for minors so that they are not abused and exploited and can process their experiences with trained personnel in the protection centers.

The children’s charity had warned on Wednesday that the “dangerous humanitarian situation” would worsen in the coming days and weeks, as heavy rains were expected in regions already under water. In the affected areas, millions of children and hundreds of thousands of pregnant women are at risk and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Water also poses health problems
At least a third of Pakistan has been under water for weeks, Climate Protection Minister Sherry Rehman said. She described the floods as a climate-related disaster of epic proportions and an existential threat to Pakistan. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the floods have already destroyed 45 percent of the country’s agricultural land.

The standing water also causes health problems for people – illnesses such as diarrhea, eye infections or skin rashes. The World Health Organization (WHO) also feared the spread of diseases such as cholera, dengue fever and malaria. Aid organizations warn that the lack of safe housing, hygiene products or toilets increases the risk of illness and sexual violence, especially for women.