Fresh Floods Cripple Pakistan, Still in Recovery Mode From Last Year

By Jack Phillips
September 13, 2011

Thailand affected by mass floods from same monsoon rains

Still rebuilding after last year’s devastating floods, Pakistan was pounded with another round of heavy Monsoon rains, causing flooding in its biggest city, Karachi, and other areas in the south. The same heavy rains have affected thousands in Thailand as well.

The United Nations estimates that more than 220,000 people have been displaced due to flooding in Pakistan and another 5 million have been negatively affected. At least 200 people have died.

Aid groups say that more than 700,000 families are still living in temporary shelters after they were forced to leave their homes in the 2010 floods that affected the whole country, impacting some 20 million people. Around one-fifth of the country was submerged underwater, causing more than $10 billion in damage.

Since late August of this year, the floods have destroyed or damaged nearly a million homes and inundated 4.2 million acres of land, mostly in the southern province of Sindh.

Zafar Iqbal Qadir, the head of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, called on the international community for aid relief before the disaster worsens, as more rain is on the way. “The help is to be provided now before this disaster consumes more human lives in the country,” he appealed in a statement.

The U.N. World Food Program said it is transporting a half million food rations to affected persons, while the Pakistani government has provided 512,000 food rations. More than 4,000 camps have been set up, while the government is trying to secure another 100,000 tents.

“Now is a crucial time to stand in solidarity with the people of Pakistan, and build on the lessons learned from the recent 2010 floods response to support the Government of Pakistan in their ongoing monsoon relief efforts,” stated Timo Pakkala, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan.

Aid groups have warned that the Pakistani government needed to improve on its infrastructure to prevent further floods to avoid another disaster. Two months ago when the monsoon season began, aid group Oxfam released a report saying that some families started to dismantle their homes and move to higher ground.

Floods Affect Thailand

The same monsoon rains assailing Pakistan have also caused mass floods in Thailand, although the damage does not look to be as severe. As of Tuesday, there were 82 confirmed deaths attributed to the floods.

The Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned that heavy rains could cause forest runoff and mudslides in 35 of the nation’s 76 provinces, adding that people living in lowlands should remain alert, according to the Bangkok Post.

More than 570,000 people have already been affected due to the floods in 16 provinces, the Department said.

In Ayutthaya province in central Thailand—home to the ruins of Siam’s ancient capital of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO Heritage World Site—at least 100 elephants had to be evacuated to higher ground after two nearby rivers swelled and flooded several nearby communities.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/still-in-recovery-mode-from-last-year-fresh-floods-cripple-pakistan-61553.html.