Millions displaced in Pakistan floods as global warming worsens monsoon rains

0
21

Four million people have been affected by devastating floods in Pakistan, with thousands of farmers across the border in India also experiencing significant losses to their crops.

Experts warn that global warming has intensified the monsoon rains, exacerbating the disaster.

Heavy rainfall over the past week has swelled three major rivers in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, causing widespread devastation in the country’s agricultural heartland.

Entire towns have been submerged, with Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reporting from Multan, Pakistan, that “the floods have left thousands of farms inundated.

Valuable crops are lost.” The government is working to provide relief to those affected, but the scale of the disaster is vast.

Mohammed Ajmal, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, described the damage as “unimaginable,” adding that his party is working around the clock to help those affected.

Sobia Bibi, a flood survivor, spoke of the devastating impact of the flooding: “In these floods, we lost everything: our homes, our crops – all that we worked for.

Help is limited, and there are too many of us in need. Our children are sitting under the open sky in the sun or in rain. We desperately need tents to protect them.”

The situation is dire, with over 900 people killed in Pakistan since June due to the monsoon floods, according to the United Nations.

During rescue efforts, a tragic incident occurred when a boat carrying people to safety in eastern Pakistan flipped, killing a 70-year-old woman and four children.

“Ten other people were rescued, but unfortunately, five people lost their lives in the incident,” said Irfan Ali Kathia, director general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

Over two million people have been forced to flee their homes due to the flooding of the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.

In neighboring India, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated due to the floods, with thousands of farmers worried about their future crops.

Authorities in India’s Punjab region reported that 1,620 square kilometers of farmland had been damaged. Farmer Satkar Singh lamented, “the rice varieties we have sown in the past – everything is gone.”

The region is crucial for basmati rice exports, and the loss could have significant economic implications.

The international community is working to provide support, with the United Nations and other organizations dispatching relief supplies and personnel to affected areas. The situation remains critical, with many more people in need of assistance.

Leave a Reply