Relief efforts underway to cope with flood devastation as death toll nears 1,300

ISLAMABAD: Death toll following the catastrophic flooding across Pakistan nears 1,300 with 26 lives lost in the last 24 hours and 12,588 people injured, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stated in its latest monsoon situation report on Saturday.

Affected population across provinces has increased to 33,046,329. Around 169,831 people have been rescued, while 633,091 affectees have been residing in relief camps across the country.

According to NDMA, 492 people lost their lives in Sindh. The province has reported the most number of flood-related deaths since June, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 286, Balochistan with 259, Punjab with 188, Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 42, Gilgit Baltistan with 22, and one person killed in the federal capital Islamabad.

Loss of livestock due to floods has reached 875 in the last 24 hours, while the total number has skyrocketed to 736,459.

Reporting on the damages of infrastructure and private properties, NDMA stated destruction of 40,980 homes across Pakistan in the last 24 hours, while the total damage has increased to 1468019. Around 5,563 roads, 243 bridges, and 173 shops have been destroyed.

In its latest report, NDMA further shared that around 695,856 victims have benefitted from the Benazir Income Support Programme, while 415,873 victims are yet to receive the relief amount.

Rescue by Pakistan Army

Briefing the media on rescue and relief efforts by the armed forces, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Babar Iftikhar paid rich tribute to Balochistan Corps Commander Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali and others who were martyred in a helicopter crash while serving the nation amid floods.

Corps commander conferences held in July and August reaffirmed commitment to provide all possible help to flood affectees and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa gave special directions in this regard, he added.

“The army chief visited flood-affected areas and monitored the rescue operations,” the spokesperson said, adding that the army officials rescued people despite bad weather and other challenges.

“Army set up 147 relief camps across the country [to facilitate the flood victims],” Babar Iftikhar added. He maintained that 50,000 people were given relief in the camps.

Pakistan Air Force rescued over 1,521 people trapped in the floods, the military’s spokesperson said.