Pakistan floods claim 1,325 lives

Islamabad, Sep 05: At least 11 more people were killed in Pakistan in the last 24 hours due to catastrophic floods, taking the death toll to 1,325 in the country amidst efforts to minimise the losses by rescuing the people and providing them food and shelter.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in its update that 12,703 people were also injured due to accidents related to floods, which were triggered by the monsoon rains. Though the situation has improved in the mountainous north where flash floods washed away houses and commercial buildings but Sindh province in the south is still braving floods, and its Dadu district is still under threat.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a visit to Sindh's Qambar-Shahdadkot district announced a 2.5 times increase in the compensation amount set aside for flood-affected individuals from Rs28 billion to Rs72 billion.

"The programme will now cover hundreds of thousands of more families," he said. The government is trying to address the issues faced by the flood victims but large-scale displacements have led to fears of an impending health crisis. The World Health Organisation said that about 900 health facilities have been damaged due to floods, 180 of them completely destroyed. Meanwhile, a delegation of the US Congress led by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee visited the flood-affected regions of Pakistan, raising 'brought hope that America would be a 'consistent partner' in helping Pakistan through the crisis.

"Congresswoman Lee underscored that she was overwhelmed by the devastation caused by floods and maintained that her delegation, having assessed the on-ground situation, will support efforts of the U.S. Congress and the US Administration to assist Pakistan in these trying times," according to Foreign Office.