Millions now homeless after weeks of flooding in Pakistan
Source: Agencies |
August 20, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
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MORE than 4 million Pakistanis have been made homeless by nearly three weeks of floods, the United Nations said yesterday, making the critical task of securing greater amounts of aid more urgent.
Aid agencies have been pushing for more funding as they try to tackle major problems such as food supplies, lack of clean water and shelter and outbreaks of disease.
Economic costs of the floods are expected to run into the billions of dollars, stepping up pressure on Pakistan's government just after it had made progress in stabilizing the country through security offensives against Taliban insurgents.
Floods have ruined crops in an estimated area of more than 1.6 million acres, hurting the agriculture industry.
Flood victims are turning on each other as aid is handed out. The elderly sometimes take food from children as anger rises over the government's perceived sluggish response to the crisis. In the small town of Alipur in the agricultural heartland Punjab province, troops and police with batons charged flood victims trying to grab food unloaded from a helicopter.
Villages were totally submerged and in many places people were stranded either on rooftops or high ground. Some waved empty pots and pans at a military helicopter, wondering, like millions of others, when food supplies will arrive.
The number of Pakistani flood victims in urgent need of humanitarian relief has risen from 6 million to 8 million, the UN said.
"Since it's an evolving situation, things are unfolding. Our estimate has gone up and now 8 million are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," UN humanitarian operations spokesman Maurizio Giuliano said.
The Asian Development Bank said it would extend a US$2 billion assistance package for emergency rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Only a small minority of the 8 million Pakistanis desperate for food and clean water have received help after floods that have killed up to 1,600 people.
Aid agencies have been pushing for more funding as they try to tackle major problems such as food supplies, lack of clean water and shelter and outbreaks of disease.
Economic costs of the floods are expected to run into the billions of dollars, stepping up pressure on Pakistan's government just after it had made progress in stabilizing the country through security offensives against Taliban insurgents.
Floods have ruined crops in an estimated area of more than 1.6 million acres, hurting the agriculture industry.
Flood victims are turning on each other as aid is handed out. The elderly sometimes take food from children as anger rises over the government's perceived sluggish response to the crisis. In the small town of Alipur in the agricultural heartland Punjab province, troops and police with batons charged flood victims trying to grab food unloaded from a helicopter.
Villages were totally submerged and in many places people were stranded either on rooftops or high ground. Some waved empty pots and pans at a military helicopter, wondering, like millions of others, when food supplies will arrive.
The number of Pakistani flood victims in urgent need of humanitarian relief has risen from 6 million to 8 million, the UN said.
"Since it's an evolving situation, things are unfolding. Our estimate has gone up and now 8 million are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance," UN humanitarian operations spokesman Maurizio Giuliano said.
The Asian Development Bank said it would extend a US$2 billion assistance package for emergency rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Only a small minority of the 8 million Pakistanis desperate for food and clean water have received help after floods that have killed up to 1,600 people.
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