Pakistan, UN jointly launch flash appeal to seek flood relief

F.P. report

NEW YORK: Pakistan and United Nations jointly launched a flash appeal to seek more assistance and aid for the population affected by the cataclysmic floods that hit the country in June and still keep thousands of acres inundated after 16 weeks.

While addressing the flash appeal ceremony in Geneva, Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman stressed the need for urgent medical assistance and timely efforts to save flood victims of Pakistan from the effects of cold weather soon approaching Pakistan.

She drew the international community’s attention to Pakistan’s urgent need for life-saving medicines, weather-resilient tents and goods as millions of people still await help and lands are still inundated, with winter around the corner.

“The flood affectees and Pakistan is facing the real race against time as winter is coming,” the minister said.

She said that the flood victims have been left at the mercy of the open sky.

“Despite shelters made available for 598,000 people, up to 7.5 million affected population is still scrambling for dry land.”

Rehman said that four million people are living in areas where temperatures reach zero and even in warm areas, the mercury drops below 10 degrees Celcius.

The minister began by saying that the monstorous downpours inundated more than one-third of Pakistan and killed approximately 17,000 people and still counting.

“We are still in the longest rescue and life-saving phase crossing 16 nightmarish weeks because three different types of floodings, all clustered in one era-defining climate disaster to create new records of extreme weather, water volume, volatility and unpredictability,” Rehman said.

Sharing the details on the current situation, the minister said that 34 districts are still crisis affected even after 16 weeks. She said that many victims are still seeking land hubs for clean water, food and medical assistance and even dry lands in Sindh to bury their dead.