Lahore resident Jamila Hasan and her disabled daughter negotiate their way across a flooded street(Photo: © Tariq Saeed/IRIN)A report by CMS partners Pak Mission Society reveals the growing extent of the flood disaster and the desperate need for more aid
The death toll of 1,600 people in Pakistan’s floods is expected to rise as cut-off towns and villages are eventually reached and human casualties assessed.
Some have estimated that it will quickly reach 3,000 as the rains continue, says a report by Pak Mission Society, a partner organisation of CMS.
In some areas, the water level was 5.5m high and residents were seen on rooftops waiting for aid to arrive.
At least 92 bridges as well as entire villages were swept away in the flood. The Karakoram Highway, which connects Pakistan with China, was closed after a bridge was destroyed. Two hundred major roads have been damaged. Four major dams are at risk.
At least 1.4 million acres of agricultural land was destroyed in Punjab alone, where people rely heavily
on agriculture for their food supply.
In addition to all the other damage they have caused, floodwaters have destroyed much of the health
infrastructure in the worst-affected areas, leaving inhabitants especially vulnerable to water-borne disease.
Already, almost 100,000 children are experiencing gastro-intestinal illnesses.
“Relief operations need to be scaled up massively to meet the needs,” say PMS. “The current response initiatives simply are no sufficient enough to assist the large number of those in need. Shelter, plastic sheeting, household goods, clothing, clean water and medical assistance are the most important gap.”
Pak Mission Society moved fast to play its part.
A rapid assessment team visited Charsadda district, also taking a week’s worth of food supplies for several hundred families. They intend to provide relief for 3,000 families and have already secured the resources to help a further 600.
PMS is working with a number of partner organisations to secure medical assistance, clean water supplies and deliver food items. Transportation is, of course, one of the most difficult areas. For all of this, more funding is needed.
Download the full latest operational report from Pak Mission Society (PDF 6.5MB).