Aid officials called for urgent donations to combat the “absolutely devastating” effects of the floods in Pakistan. New satellite imagery has emerged confirming that a third of the country is now under water.
When the UK’s Disaster Emergency Commission (DEC) launched an appeal to raise funds for the 33 million people affected, the European Space Agency issued a stringent decision based on data captured by the Copernicus satellite. I published the image.
These photos appear to support the Pakistani government’s assessment that over a third of the country – an area roughly the size of the UK – has been submerged by monsoon rains.
“The Indus flooded, effectively creating a long lake tens of kilometers wide,” Esa said in a statement.
The floods claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people, including 399 children, destroyed over a million homes, and swept away crops, livestock, and major infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
On Thursday, Saleh Saeed, chief executive of DEC, the umbrella organization for 15 major British aid charities, appealed to the British public for help. “Time is of the essence as we expect the situation to worsen as the rain continues,” he said. “I have a favor to ask of you. Please do whatever you can.”
Care Pakistan’s Maryam Imtiaz said it was clear the emergency was “out of control”. “The situation on the ground is completely devastating…we need as much help as we can,” she added.
Aid workers face major logistical challenges to reach millions of people in need, especially in southeast Sindh where water levels remain high. Even in areas where water levels have receded slightly, aid distribution has been complicated by damaged roads, cut power lines and blocked railroads.
“[It] This means aid agencies are struggling. Getting help from A to B is difficult,” said Waseem Ahmad, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide. “There are also fewer goods available to relief agencies and people. [in quantity]”
Ahmad, from northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said he had been in the country for floods that killed nearly 2,000 people in 2010, but that it was worse.
“The situation … is utter chaos everywhere. People are waiting on the roadside for humanitarian assistance such as water, food and shelter, which is unprecedented in the history of Pakistan. My experience of 22 years. among [a] As a humanitarian, I have never seen such destruction caused by floods. ”
He said he met a woman whose house and livestock had been washed away. “She pointed to a place [that] it was her house. I could see nothing but water there. Such is the scale of the destruction unfolding in Pakistan. ”
Ajeeba Aslam, another humanitarian activist at HelpAge International, said 2.3 million of the 33 million people affected are believed to be elderly, often unable to reach makeshift camps for displaced persons. said to be considered particularly vulnerable because
A colleague from Sindh told her about an old man he met “on the railroad tracks who looked very desperate”. “He was actually helping his sons and grandchildren evacuate, but now he has lost them. He didn’t know where they were. There was no shelter, no food, no water, nothing,” she said.
Large-scale destruction of crops and livestock is of particular concern in countries already suffering from high levels of poverty and malnutrition, with fears of a “very harsh winter” for millions of people. increase.
Jennifer Ankrom-Khan, country director of Action Against Hunger, said the damage from the floods was on top of the economic impact of the Covid pandemic and higher food prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We have already seen massive inflation in food prices, now flooding, and all crops grown during the season, all food items that were maintained by various communities and governments. It’s impacting the store.”
She added:
The Pakistani government has said flood damages could total around $10 billion (£8.6 billion), as it struggles to cope with the effects of a climate crisis it could barely make. We are asking the world for help.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Thursday:[stood] With Pakistan,” he said, donating £15m to support relief efforts.
A third of that will come from the initial £5m match fund pledges collected by DEC’s appeal, the Foreign and Federal Development Office (FCDO) said.
DEC said it was “incredibly grateful” to the UK government for the pledge, but added that it “hopefully looks forward to it”. [to] The UK government will increase that pot if possible. The match funding cap is significantly lower than recent appeals against Ukraine and Afghanistan.
The appeal will be broadcast on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky following Thursday evening’s breaking news.
