Mati Barnhart, knitted news29.08.22 14:25 Monday in Elol Tishfav
Illustration (photo: Shutterstock)
Pakistan is trying to recover from one of the worst natural disasters in the country’s history. Floods caused by heavy monsoon rains threaten to cover about a third of the country where 220 million people live.
Climate Change Minister Shari Raham said the rains had created a “climate catastrophe”, with houses submerged, farms destroyed and millions of people forced to leave their homes.
“We had to send the navy to operate in the India-Pakistan region for the first time, because the region is partly like an ocean,” Raheem said. Today the death toll climbed to 1,061 since mid-June, when the incessant rains raised fears of further loss of life.
“By the time it’s over, a third of Pakistan could be under water,” Raheem added. New satellite images today showed the extent of the disaster, with homes and fields completely submerged under water, including in Punjab, the country’s most populous province.
Pictures released by the Pakistani military showed rescue teams carrying out helicopter rescues of civilians stuck in the floodwaters, including a child who was hung from a rock during a strong current.
Over 3000 kilometers of roads, 130 bridges and 495,000 houses have been destroyed so far, making access to the flooded areas even more difficult.
“This monsoon season has been really devastating,” said Foreign Minister Bilwal Bhutto-Zardari. “I have not seen a devastating disaster on such a level. It is difficult for me to express it in the words we usually use to describe monsoon and other disasters.”
Today, during my visit to the flood affected areas of Balochistan, I was told that the people trapped in the flood in Kamrat, including the students, have been rescued. Alhamdulillah. As soon as this was brought to my knowledge yesterday, I directed them to use all resources to rescue them. All the officials including the Pakistan Army deserve kudos for this. pic.twitter.com/hxibzAd3pY
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 28, 2022
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also joined the search, delivering products by helicopter to affected areas that are difficult to reach by ship or land. “The times demand that we come together as a nation and support each other in this time of disaster,” Sharif said.
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