More than 1,100 people have died from floods since mid-June, nearly 400 of them children, while millions have been displaced, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Pakistan, already grappling with political and economic uncertainties, has been thrown on the front lines of a man-made climate crisis.
Here’s what you need to know.
Why are floods so bad?
The monsoon season in Pakistan usually brings downpours, but this year has been the wettest year since records began in 1961, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Torrential monsoon rains – 10 times heavier than normal – have caused the Indus River to overflow, creating a lake tens of kilometers long, tens of kilometers wide, according to images from ESA on August 30.
inside southern According to the NDMA, in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces, rainfall was 500% above average as of August 30, submerging entire villages and farmland, leveling buildings and wiping out crops.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the world’s planet-warming gases, but the country is the eighth most vulnerable country to the climate crisis, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. Global Climate Risk Index.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned the world is “sleepwalking” into environmental destruction.
“South Asia is one of the world’s global climate crisis hotspots. People living in these hotspots are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts,” Mr. Guterres said on 30/30/. 8 said.
“As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is infuriating that climate action is coming to the fore as greenhouse gas emissions around the world continue to grow. the world is still growing, making all of us – everywhere – increasingly dangerous,” he added.
Pakistan is also home to more glaciers than anywhere outside the polar regions. But as the climate warms, it becomes more vulnerable to sudden outbreaks of melting glacier water.
What are the damages so far?
More than 33 million people have been affected, or about 15% of the population, according to Pakistan’s Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman on August 25. More than 1 million homes were damaged or destroyed, while at least 5,000 kilometers of roads were damaged, according to the NDMA.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 800 health facilities were damaged throughout the country, of which 180 were completely damaged, leaving millions of people without access to health care. health and medical treatment, as reported in many affected districts.
How does it affect people in Pakistan?
Pakistan is facing two food and health crises due to unprecedented floods.
“Our priority right now is to help save and protect lives as the water continues to rise. The scale of these floods has caused incredible levels of devastation – crops washed away and livestock washed away. killed across large swaths of the country, synonymous with famine, said Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the Disaster Emergencies Committee, a UK-based aid alliance.
Prime Minister Sharif said on August 30 that people were facing food shortages and that the prices of basic commodities such as tomatoes and onions had “sprung up”.
“I have to feed my people. Their bellies can’t be empty,” Sharif said.
The WHO has also ranked Pakistan’s worst floods on record as a “highest” emergency, warning the disease is spreading rapidly due to a lack of access to medical assistance.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on August 31 of new outbreaks of diarrhea, skin infections, respiratory infections, malaria and dengue fever as a result of the floods, while Many water-borne diseases also pose health risks.
What is being done?
According to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, a National Flood Coordination and Response Center has been established as the country is dealing with floods.
China’s consul general in Karachi said two Chinese military planes carrying tents and other flood aid landed in Karachi on August 30. China has pledged $14.5 million in aid to Pakistan, while the British government also announced a 1.5 million pound ($1.73 million) contribution to relief efforts.
Prime Minister Sharif told CNN on August 30 the country is negotiating with Moscow over wheat imports without violating Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sophia Saifi, Angela Dewan, Rachel Ramirez and Kara Fox of CNN contributed to this report.
