Map and satellite photos show extent of devastation
By The Visual Journalism Team
BBC News
The climate change minister says more than a third of the country has been completely submerged by the heaviest recorded monsoon rains in a decade.
The Indus River which flows through Sindh and Balochistan is fed by mountain tributaries in the north of the country, many of which have burst their banks following record rains and melting glaciers.
The UN's World Meteorological Organization said Pakistan and north-west India have had an intense monsoon season this year - with one site in Sindh reporting 1,288 millimetres of rain so far in August, compared with the monthly average of 46mm.
- ON THE GROUND: 'The water came and now everything is gone'
- IN PICTURES: Floods and fear in Pakistan
- WATCH: Bed frames used to pull victims over floodwaters
There are echoes of the devastating floods of 2010 - the deadliest in Pakistan's history - which left more than 2,000 people dead.
- Damage to thousands of kilometres of roads and dozens of bridges this season has hampered access to flood-hit areas.
- People have been forced to take shelter on higher ground wherever they can - on elevated roads and railway tracks, many accompanied by surviving livestock. Others have sought shelter in camps run by aid agencies.
Government and army helicopters have been called in to rescue stranded villagers and tourists - as well as deliver aid.
The UN estimates that around 33 million Pakistanis - one in seven people - have been affected by the flooding, with more than 500,000 houses destroyed or damaged.
Raging flood waters have also swept away 700,000 head of livestock and damaged more than 3.6 million acres of crops - wiping out cotton, wheat, vegetable and fruit harvests.
Rajanpur village surrounded by floodwater
Drag button left to see extent of flooding in Miranpur24 Mar 2022
"Millions are homeless, schools and health facilities have been destroyed, livelihoods are shattered, critical infrastructure wiped out, and people's hopes and dreams have washed away," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at the launch of an appeal to raise £137m to help provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education, protection and health support.
"Millions are homeless, schools and health facilities have been destroyed, livelihoods are shattered, critical infrastructure wiped out, and people's hopes and dreams have washed away," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at the launch of an appeal to raise £137m to help provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education, protection and health support.
Miscellaneous National Tasks
Flood Relief Operations
Floods in Pakistan continue to remain a national calamity. Army invariably is called upon in aid of civil power for undertaking relief rescue operations for protection of life and property during flood season. Over the period, army has developed a comprehensive organizational setup to fight any challenges resulting from floods in the country.
Floods in Pakistan continue to remain a national calamity. Army invariably is called upon in aid of civil power for undertaking relief rescue operations for protection of life and property during flood season. Over the period, army has developed a comprehensive organizational setup to fight any challenges resulting from floods in the country.
Army Flood Protection and Relief Organization
Army Flood Protection and Relief structure comprises following:
- General Headquarters Flood Relief Centre
This centre was established in 1977 and since then it is functioning under General Staff Branch(Engineer Directorate) - Corps Flood Control Centres
Established in 1977, these centres work under respective Corps Headquarters - Liasion with Provincial Governments
Commanders Corps Engineers at Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta function as the Army liaison/coordinating officers with the respective Provincial Governments
Three-hour-long telethon: Imran Khan raises Rs500 crore for flood victims
“The sole solution to prevent the catastrophes caused by flood is to construct dams, says PTI chairman
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan on Monday held an international telethon to raise funds from within the country and overseas Pakistanis for the flood victims.
According to Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who moderated the event, the former prime minister collected over Rs5 billion in donations in 3 hours long flood telethon. Chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — Pervaiz Elahi and Mahmood Khan — former premier’s ex-assistant on social protection Sania Nishtar, celebrities, and other politicians joined Imran Khan’s telethon.
Speaking during Live Telethon which was telecast by a number of TV channels, the PTI chief said entire Pakistan had been affected by the floods generated by back-to-back monsoon rains. He said more than 1,000 people have died due to devastating floods and the damages are expected to cross Rs1,000 billion.
He said that the country would have to construct more dams to save people from such devastation in future. “The sole solution to prevent the catastrophes caused by flood is to construct dams.”
The PTI chairman said that he is struggling for real independence besides assisting the flood victims across the country. British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan also joined the telethon and announced Rs5 million for flood victims. Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, who attended PTI’s live telethon transmission, announced Rs30 million for flood affectees.
