· ·

Widespread floods affect 2.5 million people, over 1 million acres of crops in Sindh, Pakistan

sindh-pakistan-flood-2020

Record rainfall and resulting floods in Pakistan's Sindh Province have affected nearly 2.5 million people and over 405 000 ha (1 million acres) of crops since the start of the rainy season. In total, 15 000 villages were inundated, more than 77 000 homes destroyed and over 137 000 damaged.

According to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the most affected district in the province is Mirpurkhas, with 931 901 people affected, followed by Umerkot, with 697 900 people. Mirpurkhas is dependent on agriculture and livestock, with most of the population living in extreme poverty.

Heavy rains caused the Chenab and Indus rivers to burst their banks, forcing residents in districts such as Khaipur, Jamshoro and near the Guddu Barrage to evacuate. In Rahim Yar Khan, more than a dozen villages were submerged after the Indus River became swollen.

In Khairpur, more than 1 000 people were trapped and forced to help themselves as government aid reportedly did not reach the area on time. People in Jamshoro also suffered the same situation. 

Provincial management officials warned that floods in Guddu Barrage are expected to increase on September 10. "A high alert has been issued, camps have been formed, and patrolling in these areas has been increased," said engineer Aftab Khoso.

It’s not just that people’s homes have been destroyed," Jahangir Junejo, a landlord in the Sindhri tehsil of Mirpurkhas district, told Dawn.com.

"Standing crops on thousands of acres have been wiped out. Now, the landlords have suffered heavy losses and the farmers have no work," he explained, adding that villagers were literally dying of hunger.

In addition to floods, the region is now battling huge mosquitos. "They are killing our livestock," another resident said. "They are unlike any you may have seen. They are bigger than the house fly and don't even move when you shoo them away."

"This is a sorry sight," said a resident of Abu Bakr Junejo village, Mirpurkhas. "The people of this region always buried their dead, even the livestock. But now they are dying in such numbers that they are forced to abandon the bodies on the roadside."

Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered National Disaster Management Authority chairman Lt. Gen. Mohammad Afzal to coordinate with the Sindh government to assess the damage in the affected provinces. The PM also advised federal and provincial authorities to prepare a strategy for the compensation of losses.

Featured image credit: chave weather/YouTube

If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.

Share:


Your support makes a difference

Dear valued reader,

We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.

The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.

If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.

Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.

Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Teo Blašković

$5 /month

  • Ad-free account
  • Clean user interface and fast browsing
  • Direct communication with us via chat and email
  • Suggest new features, content and applications
  • Early access to new apps and features

$50 /year

$10 /month

  • Ad-free account
  • Clean user interface and fast browsing
  • Direct communication with us via chat and email
  • Suggest new features, content and applications
  • Early access to new apps and features

$100 /year

$25 /month

  • Ad-free account
  • Clean user interface and fast browsing
  • Direct communication with us via chat and email
  • Suggest new features, content and applications
  • Early access to new apps and features

$200 /year

You can also support us on Patreon

support us on patreon

or by sending us a one-off payment using PayPal:


Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

One Comment

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *