Focus on to assist flood affectees, says Sherry

Muhammad Asad
ISLAMABAD: The coalition government is making all-out efforts to deliver flood-affected people and Federal Government is closely working with Provincial administrations to rescue stranded people stranded and provide them with shelters, food, and medical aid during this time of calamity. It was observed by Federal Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman during a media interaction in Islamabad on Thursday.
According to Rehman, the country has received unprecedented rain during the current monsoon season, and the overall rainfall in the country remained 241 percent more than the average outcome of the monsoon season in the previous years.
Sherry said that over thirty million people had been hit by the torrent while Balochistan remained on the top of the list in respect of rainfall which received about 496 percent more rain and it also had more share in causalities, property damages as well as displacement of the masses.
According to Federal Minister, Sindh received 784% more rain Punjab stood at 56%, KP 33 percent while GB experienced 172 percent more rain during the current monsoon season in the country. She said that the countrywide death toll has reached over 900, and 1,923 injuries had been reported since June while the cycle of torrential rain still continues in most parts of the world.
While responding to a media query, she said that the urban areas were equally hit by the flood along with its disastrous effects in rural and hilly areas while the government has activated all its resources including provincial and district administration, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) along with the troops from tri-services are engaged in rescue and relief operations in all parts of the country including Sindh and Balochistan.
To another question, she said that there is no question of provinces or the Federal Capital being able to cop this high-magnitude catastrophe through their own resources because the calamity was of such a surprise and grave nature that it was not possible to control the torrent while similar situations are been faced by several other nations in the region and beyond.
While commenting on the risk associated with the global climate change phenomenon she said that Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world and ranked 8th on the Global Climate Risk Index. While answering a question, she said that heavy machinery is being used for dewatering urban areas and constructing temporary bridges to restore land routes between various regions.
Sherry Rehman was of the view that it is not possible for a government to tackle such a huge disaster through its domestic resources, therefore the global community must come forward to assist the Government of Pakistan in the colossal work of rehabilitation of millions of displaced masses while the people of Pakistan also help their brothers and sister facing repercussions of torrential rain and urban flooding in Sindh and Balochistan.