Islamabad: Pakistan The government has decided to call army To help with rescue and relief operations after several parts of the country were devastated by the worst floods in more than a decade that affected more than 33 million people, the Home Minister Rana Sanaullah Said on Saturday.
So far 982 people have died due to floods across Pakistan. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 45 people have died in the last 24 hours.NDMA,
Another 1,456 people were injured with 113 people being injured in the last 24 hours.
Interior Minister Sanaullah said the armed forces were being deployed in the wake of the biggest floods in more than a decade.
He said the troops have been called under Article 245 of the Constitution which empowers the government to call in the army to assist the civil administration to deal with emergencies.
A formal notification issued on Friday said the exact number of troops and the area of deployment would be worked out by the respective provincial governments in consultation with the Directorate of Military Operations and the General Headquarters.
According to the notification, “the date of removal of the said posting will be decided at a later stage after mutual consultation amongst all the stakeholders.”
The disaster has severely affected the country’s infrastructure, the NDMA said, adding that over 3,161 km of roads were damaged and 149 bridges were washed away, while 682,139 houses were completely or partially damaged in the floods, the NDMA said.
Floods triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains have submerged more than half of the country, leaving more than 57 lakh people without shelter and food in 110 districts.
Sindh and Balochistan provinces have been hit hardest by the disaster and Pakistan Railways suspended its operations at several places in both the provinces, while Pakistan International Airlines also halted its flights to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, on Friday due to bad weather. have been given.
According to Environment Minister sheri rehmanThe country generally receives torrential rains about three to four times every year.
However, Pakistan has been in the grip of monsoon eight times so far this year and more rains are expected.
The NDMA data shows that the monsoon season’s average rainfall during the last 30 years was 132.3 mm, while 385.4 mm of rain has been recorded since June 14 – almost 192 per cent more than the previous three decades.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif He was briefed on the flood situation in the country on Friday at a meeting with a group of ambassadors, high commissioners and other senior members of the diplomatic corps based in Islamabad.
He said that as per the preliminary damage assessment, the damage caused by the floods can be compared to the damage caused to Pakistan during the flash floods of 2010-11.
The meeting was attended by Ambassadors and High Commissioners from Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Kuwait, UAE, Turkey, South Korea, USA, Germany and senior diplomats from Bahrain, EU, France, Oman, Qatar, UK. , and Saudi Arabia.
According to the Foreign Office, country representatives of the World Food Program (WFP) were also present at the meeting.
The Prime Minister said that more than 33 million people have been badly affected by the flash floods and torrential rains.
He said Pakistan’s carbon emissions were negligible, but ranked 8th among countries most exposed to the horrors of climate change.
Noting that climate change has made the flooding worse, the Prime Minister stressed on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of climate-resilient infrastructure in Pakistan.
Sharif said that considering the urgency of the challenge, the government has decided to reach out to friendly countries, donors and international financial institutions for continued support in this difficult time.
He said the Foreign Office and the NDMA are coordinating closely with the UN Resident Coordinator in Islamabad to launch the UN Flash Appeal on August 30.
Speaking on the occasion, foreign diplomats expressed their condolences and sympathies to the people and the government on the loss of valuable lives and damage to infrastructure in the floods.
He assured his country’s continued support to meet the requirements of rescue and relief operations across Pakistan.
So far 982 people have died due to floods across Pakistan. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 45 people have died in the last 24 hours.NDMA,
Another 1,456 people were injured with 113 people being injured in the last 24 hours.
Interior Minister Sanaullah said the armed forces were being deployed in the wake of the biggest floods in more than a decade.
He said the troops have been called under Article 245 of the Constitution which empowers the government to call in the army to assist the civil administration to deal with emergencies.
A formal notification issued on Friday said the exact number of troops and the area of deployment would be worked out by the respective provincial governments in consultation with the Directorate of Military Operations and the General Headquarters.
According to the notification, “the date of removal of the said posting will be decided at a later stage after mutual consultation amongst all the stakeholders.”
The disaster has severely affected the country’s infrastructure, the NDMA said, adding that over 3,161 km of roads were damaged and 149 bridges were washed away, while 682,139 houses were completely or partially damaged in the floods, the NDMA said.
Floods triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains have submerged more than half of the country, leaving more than 57 lakh people without shelter and food in 110 districts.
Sindh and Balochistan provinces have been hit hardest by the disaster and Pakistan Railways suspended its operations at several places in both the provinces, while Pakistan International Airlines also halted its flights to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, on Friday due to bad weather. have been given.
According to Environment Minister sheri rehmanThe country generally receives torrential rains about three to four times every year.
However, Pakistan has been in the grip of monsoon eight times so far this year and more rains are expected.
The NDMA data shows that the monsoon season’s average rainfall during the last 30 years was 132.3 mm, while 385.4 mm of rain has been recorded since June 14 – almost 192 per cent more than the previous three decades.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif He was briefed on the flood situation in the country on Friday at a meeting with a group of ambassadors, high commissioners and other senior members of the diplomatic corps based in Islamabad.
He said that as per the preliminary damage assessment, the damage caused by the floods can be compared to the damage caused to Pakistan during the flash floods of 2010-11.
The meeting was attended by Ambassadors and High Commissioners from Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Kuwait, UAE, Turkey, South Korea, USA, Germany and senior diplomats from Bahrain, EU, France, Oman, Qatar, UK. , and Saudi Arabia.
According to the Foreign Office, country representatives of the World Food Program (WFP) were also present at the meeting.
The Prime Minister said that more than 33 million people have been badly affected by the flash floods and torrential rains.
He said Pakistan’s carbon emissions were negligible, but ranked 8th among countries most exposed to the horrors of climate change.
Noting that climate change has made the flooding worse, the Prime Minister stressed on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of climate-resilient infrastructure in Pakistan.
Sharif said that considering the urgency of the challenge, the government has decided to reach out to friendly countries, donors and international financial institutions for continued support in this difficult time.
He said the Foreign Office and the NDMA are coordinating closely with the UN Resident Coordinator in Islamabad to launch the UN Flash Appeal on August 30.
Speaking on the occasion, foreign diplomats expressed their condolences and sympathies to the people and the government on the loss of valuable lives and damage to infrastructure in the floods.
He assured his country’s continued support to meet the requirements of rescue and relief operations across Pakistan.