ISLAMABAD: Major Pakistani charities have intensified their relief operations in flood-affected areas, with representatives warning on Tuesday that significantly more funds will be needed during the rehabilitation phase to support thousands of people who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
Since late June, heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 707 people across Pakistan, damaged infrastructure and triggered flash floods and landslides in the country’s mountainous north, according to official data.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), nearly 400 people have died and 181 have been injured in northern Pakistan in the latest spell of rains that began last week, with Buner district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province emerging as the worst-hit, accounting for 225 of the deaths.
Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi, in the southern Sindh province, also experienced flash flooding on Tuesday following intense downpours that killed at least eight people. However, the primary focus of the NDMA and major relief organizations remains the northern districts, where emergency supplies are being dispatched daily to flood-hit areas.
“Currently, around 6,000 volunteers are working across Pakistan, with more than 1,100 deployed in Buner alone and since August 15, we have spent over Rs250 million ($886,525) on aid supplies, and are intensifying our efforts,” Dr. Hafeez ur Rahman, the top Alkhidmat Foundation (AKF) official, told Arab News.
