Death toll rises to more than 1,200 in Pakistan due to floods

NGOs mobilize and appeal to international solidarity to contain the emergency

MADRID, 1 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

More than 1,200 people have died in Pakistan as a result of the floods in recent weeks, according to official balances, which also account for more than 6,000 injuries and extensive material damage.

The Pakistani agency responsible for disaster management had confirmed 1,208 fatalities as of Thursday, of which more than 430 correspond to the Sindh region, in the south of the country. In addition, the number of injured already exceeds 6,000.

A third of the country has suffered the ravages of a storm that does not stop, since in the southern area they fear new floods after the rise of some rivers. In total, 33 million people have been affected.

The UN estimates that 6.4 million citizens urgently need humanitarian aid and, in recent days, there have been calls to increase the response. Both United Nations agencies and NGOs have turned to new operations.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported Thursday that it is providing medical care, establishing drinking water points and distributing water and non-food items to those affected by the unprecedented rains in Pakistan's recent history.

The director of Action Against Hunger in Pakistan, Jennifer Ankrom-Khan, has warned that the "devastating" effects of the monsoon have not ended, in part because "many areas remain inaccessible." She has not ruled out that the balance of victims is "much higher" in the coming days, as access to these areas is achieved.

Likewise, it has warned of the possible long-term effects in terms of food supply and market, "in a country already affected by a major economic crisis through the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemics and the war in Ukraine ". Pakistan already had 27 million of its citizens food insecure before this disaster.