Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani launched a passionate appeal to the nation and international assistance agencies to come forward and provide financial and moral support to the rain and flood-affected people of Sindh, as torrential rains and breaches in canals left more than four million people homeless in the province by Saturday.
Addressing the nation through Radio Pakistan and the Pakistan Television, Gilani said the magnitude of the devastation was beyond the country’s resources and “we will have to face the challenge with courage, determination and the spirit of sacrifice”. He urged the political and democratic forces of the country to bury differences and provide full support to the affected people. He assured the people of Sindh of standing by them, saying the nation would do all to mitigate their suffering.
He also reiterated the international appeal for assistance launched by President Asif Ali Zardari, hoping that international institutions and the world would pay attention to the needs of the affected people. Gilani expressed confidence that the global institutions and international community would give sympathetic consideration to the president’s appeal for expediting the rehabilitation of the affected people.
The prime minister said the federal government had so far provided assistance worth over Rs 2 billion to the affected people that included medicines, food, potable water and other essential goods. He said the National Disaster Management Authority had been instructed to provide tele-health facilities in the affected areas, warning that the continuity of extraordinary rain could make the situation worse and could pose a major challenge in the affected areas. Gilani pointed out that in recent days, the affected areas received 142 percent more rains than normal, submerging 4,100,000 acres of land and claiming 141 lives.
He said 4,000 relief camps had been established where 150,000 affected were being provided accommodation. He said rain and floods had destroyed crops over 1.7 million acres, 700,000 houses and claimed 64,000 cattle heads. Meanwhile, waterborne and viral diseases are spreading across the affected areas of lower Sindh, with Badin, Mirpur Khas, Nawabshah, Tando Mohammad Khan and other areas being hit the hardest. Epidemics in Badin district have claimed 30 lives. Sanghar DPO Abdullah Shaikh said the district had been declared calamity hit, as floodwater level was rising and people were suffering more by the day.
In Mirpur Khas, hundreds of rain-affected families and representatives of various NGOs and civil society gathered outside the DCO’s residence to meet the Sindh chief minister. However, the police baton charged the people, injuring several seriously. The people later reached the local press club and protested the district administration’s action. Rain also brought catastrophe in the northern parts of the country, as three of a family were swept away by floodwater in Khawazakhela tehsil of Swat district.
Flood triggered by heavy rain swept away a primary school and a house while standing crops and fruit orchards have also been damaged. Also, several people have been killed in Jhang following an outbreak of malaria and cholera in the district, with the people demanding concrete steps by the government to control the situation.
Floods leave 4m homeless in Sindh
