Terming the situation arising out of torrential rains in Sindh as serious and a disaster similar to the last year’s floods, the UN has assured of its support in relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government.
These views were expressed by UN Pakistan Resident Coordinator Timo Pakkalar while accompanying a seven-member UN delegation during a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister’s House on Friday. According to an official handout, the UN coordinator assured that the UN will play its role for extending assistance to affected people and said the organisation is working with federal and provincial governments for relief measures, aiming to respond with commendable efforts under the available resources.
UN delegation members, Yasmeen and Andro, termed the recent rains as similar to the disaster of last year’s floods and assured that the UN was ready to cooperate. It was emphasised during the meeting that urgent measures and coordinated efforts will be accelerated so that affected people are assisted properly. The chief minister told the UN delegation that heavy rains have wreaked havoc in the whole province, as 21 districts out of the 23 have been affected.
Shah said that over four million people have been rendered homeless due to rains and their lands inundated, destroying precious crops. “This loss is not only for the province, but also for the country,” he said. “The economy of the Sindh province depends on agriculture and many valuable crops have been destroyed, badly affecting the economy of the province.”
Appreciating the role of UN regarding assistance and cooperation for flood relief measures last year, the provincial chief minister stressed the acute need for food, shelter, medicines, clean drinking water, etc. “There is state of calamity in many districts and a lot of relief efforts need to be made for the affected people. Most of the people are not in camps and remain with cattle. There is need of about one million tents besides other relief items.”
Shah also stressed upon the UN to come forward and extend complete support and assistance for affected people. In his briefing, National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Zafar Iqbal Qadir informed the UN delegation that the federal government will also assist the people of Sindh. “Tents available have already been dispatched, while more tents in bulk are being procured from suppliers. So far, 80,000 ration bags have been supplied and another 40,000 will be sent soon.”
Provincial Disaster Management Authority Director General Saleh Farooqui told the delegation that the authority has released 34,217 family ration packs, 1.390 million bags of flour, 35,000 packs of dal channa, 242,440 mineral water bottles, 1,200 6-litre bottles of mineral water, 39,000 packs of sugar, 20,750 packs of ghee worth Rs 100.5 million.
“As far as non-food items are concerned, 14,322 tents, 5,000 plastic mats, 11,000 mosquito nets and 100 jerry cans worth Rs 114.437 million have also been supplied in all districts. “Besides, the relief department has also supplied 1,000 family ration packs worth Rs 1.5 million and 9,097 tents, 9,800 plastic mats, 525 mosquito sprays, 3,230 water purification units and 1,500 jerry cans worth Rs 111.465 million for rain-affected people.”
