Pakistan floods wreak havoc... and warnings of a widening disaster

Weather of Arabia - Floods caused by monsoon rains that began in early June in Pakistan have killed 1,061 people, according to a new toll issued today, Monday, by the National Disaster Management Authority.

The province of Sindh in southern Pakistan is preparing for new floods as the rivers run out of their courses, as officials warned of massive torrential rains expected to reach Sindh in the next few days and worsen the situation of millions affected by the current floods.

The Indus River, which crosses the second most populous region in the country, feeds dozens of mountain waterways in the north, many of which overflowed after record rains and melting glaciers.

Monsoon rains are necessary to irrigate crops and replenish rivers and dams in the Indian subcontinent, but they also cause devastation. According to officials, this year's monsoon rains affected more than 33 million people, or one person out of every seven in Pakistan, destroying or causing severe damage to about a million homes.

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She revealed that this year's floods are parallel to those that occurred in 2010, which is the worst ever, when more than two thousand people died and about a fifth of the country was inundated.

Thousands of people living near swollen rivers in northern Pakistan have been asked to evacuate the danger zones. The army, with its helicopters, and aid workers are still helping to move the population.

Many rivers overflowed in this region, which attracts tourists with its rugged mountains and valleys, destroying a large number of buildings, including a 150-room hotel that was swept away by torrents . Nasir Khan, the owner of the hotel, which was badly damaged in the 2010 floods, revealed that he had lost everything he owned. He said that the torrents "swept away what was left of the hotel."

Just IN:— Flash floods wreak havoc in Pakistan; 4.6 million people affected: 300,000 homeless; over 1000 dead. 90% crops in sindh province ravaged. pic.twitter.com/Y56DAcy6JM

— South Asia Index (@SouthAsiaIndex) August 26, 2022

Fingers pointed at climate change

Officials point to human-caused climate change as the factor behind the floods, arguing that Pakistan unfairly bears the consequences of irresponsible environmental practices in other parts of the world.

Pakistan ranks eighth on the Global Climate Risk Index compiled by Germanwatch, a non-governmental group of countries most vulnerable to extreme weather events caused by climate change.

In parts of Sindh, the only areas not yet submerged are the roads and elevated railways around which tens of thousands of poor rural people have taken refuge with their livestock.

Near Sukkur, a row of tents stretches for two kilometres. People still flock to the site, carrying beds and wooden utensils, the only items they have been able to salvage.

"The water level in the river started rising since yesterday, flooding the towns, which made us flee," Wakeel Ahmed, 22, told AFP. The supervisor of the dam, Aziz Soomro, confirmed that all drainage channels were opened to contain the river's flowing water at a rate of more than 600,000 cubic meters per second.

The situation is exacerbated by corruption, poor planning and violation of local rules, which has led to the construction of thousands of buildings in areas prone to seasonal flooding. The government declared a state of emergency and mobilized the army to confront what Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman called a "massive catastrophe".

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