Flood victims in Pakistan face perilous conditions, food shortages
A humanitarian crisis has unfolded from the weeks of unrelenting flooding in the hard-hit country, which is in dire need of food, clean water, medicine and clean sanitary facilities.
People are in serious need of supplies and help after a devastating flood destroyed homes and left families stranded.
A dire situation has emerged out of Pakistan after weeks of deadly flooding displaced more than 100,000 from their homes and devastated countless acres of crops, leaving those stranded in desperate need of food, water and medical care.
Flooding in Pakistan over the past month has been brought on by record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in the country's northern mountains. According to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency, the floods have killed at least 1,314 people, including 458 children, and have impacted 33 million overall as of Sept. 5.
In July and August, Pakistan recorded 15.4 inches of rain - nearly 190% more than the 30-year average, The Guardian reported. And Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, more than tripled its monthly rainfall in 24 hours during monsoon downpours in late July, AccuWeather reported.
Structural damage throughout the country has been immense, with nearly two million homes and businesses destroyed, along with 7,000 kilometers of roads and numerous bridges washed away.
The view of the flooded farmland and villages in Pakistan from a rescue boat on Sept. 10, 2022, after record monsoon rains and glacial melt over past several weeks have caused massive flooding throughout the county. (AFP)
In the past weeks, a new body of water created by the floods in southern Sindh (one of Pakistan's four provinces) has grown miles wide, displacing thousands and leaving hundreds of villages and farm and underwater, AFP reported.
"Nobody knows where their village is anymore, the common man can no longer recognize his own home," rescued villager Ayaz Ali told AFP.
His village was submerged under nearly 23 feet (seven meters) of water, and many of his fellow residents have been left stranded by the devastation. The overflowing Indus River has only exacerbated the harsh conditions.
Ali has been serving as a navigator for the Pakistan Navy during ongoing rescue missions, identifying submerged villages in hopes of helping those in need. Ali is working with volunteers to deliver aid and to ferry those in need of medical care back to makeshift relief camps.
"They (children) are suffering from diarrhea and vomiting. Whenever they eat, they throw up," said rescued villager Ali Raza. "That is why we are going to the city to get them some medicine. My daughter (baby) is suffering from fever and diarrhea, so does my son."
The perilous situation also has created critical health issues for those who refuse to evacuate. Some who choose to remain in place, afraid of leaving their livestock unattended, have been accepting the supplies given by volunteers.
"Our life and death is linked with our village, how can we leave?" said villager Aseer Ali, knee-deep in water, who was also refusing to let his wife, who is eight months pregnant, evacuate.
"We need fodder for the cattle like buffaloes and cows, as well as for our cats and dogs," he told AFP.
The conditions in Sindhi villages have been made worse by rampant crime that has popped up in the wake of the flooding.
Flooding in the Sindh province of Pakistan has left a bevy of structures harmed, submerging villages and displacing more than 100,000 people. (Photo via AFP)
"There are people stealing things (when homes are abandoned)," Sindhi villager Saeed Panwar told AFP. "We are poor people and can hardly feed ourselves. We have young children at home too, so we leave two members of the family behind (while men go to town for supplies)."
Those that have made the journey to the makeshift camps have reported plights that rival the dire status of their homes, including horrible odors caused by rotting vegetation and garbage, as well as a lack of functioning toilets. Currently, more than 660,000 people are living in the camps.
"There is an immense need for drinking water and toilet facilities," Muhammad Iqbal, of the Pakistan-based humanitarian organization Alkhidmat Foundation, told AFP. But he cautioned that they may have to wait longer.
Iqbal said the government's priority is "draining the flooded areas," leaving relief work mainly in the hands of volunteers until the flooding issues have been resolved.
More than 600,000 Pakistan residents have been placed in makeshift relief camps where conditions are dry, fighting through perilous conditions amid rampant flooding in the country. (Photo via AFP)
Meanwhile, the flooding's impact on Pakistan's food supply has been a concern, as the country's agricultural belt has been left underwater. The International Rescue Committee has estimated that the floods have damaged more than 3.6 million acres of crops throughout Pakistan.
Typically an exporter of surplus wheat to Afghanistan and other countries, Pakistan is now in need of imports of wheat and vegetables.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif recently briefed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the situation, thanking Turkey for bringing over food, tents and medicine for the relief efforts. For those stuck in the makeshift camps, the country and its military, along with United Nations agencies and local charities, have provided much-needed food. Currently, more than 660,000 people are living in the camps.
After urging the United Nations to send help, various countries including the United States have pitched in, sending more than 60 planeloads of aid to Pakistan. Three U.S. military planes carrying aid landed in the southern Sindh province Monday, according to a Foreign Ministry statement, with 10 such flights arriving in the area since the crisis began.
"The acute loss of farmland and agriculture is likely to be felt in the months and years ahead," International Rescue Committee director Shabnam Baloch told The Associated Press. "It is vital that the humanitarian response remains fully funded in order to give the people of Pakistan the best chance of rebuilding their lives."
This week will be another challenging one in the country, according to the Meteorological Department, as light rain is expected to hit during the week in flood-stricken areas.
"There is a storm centered over extreme western India that will bring some showers and thunderstorms to the extreme southeastern portion of Pakistan through Tuesday evening," AccuWeather meteorologist Dave Bowers noted. "A few places could pick up an inch of two."
Bowers also stated that dry weather will "dominate" through the rest of the week, while rainy weather will be concentrated from the northwest coast of India eastward to Bangladesh.
Within the struggle, however, volunteers have been unwavering in support of their fellow countrymen and women.
"(I volunteered) because it's a good thing," naval volunteer Lt. Col. Khurram told AFP. "If you save one soul, you have saved the whole of humanity. So, since the flood has started, I have been deployed...I have tried to save a lot of lives, and it makes me happy. I feel very satisfied."
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