Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif appealed for international assistance on Friday as rescuers tried to free thousands of stranded residents from flood-affected districts.
As Pakistan continues to experience abnormally heavy rain and the death toll has reached 937 since mid-June, more than a third of them being youngsters, Sharif made his appeal on Twitter. The emergency declaration was made by the government as a result of the crisis.
He wrote, "The current rain spell has wrought destruction across the country. Together we will build back better," thanking other nations and organizations for their assistance.
“The ongoing rain spell has caused devastation across the country," he tweeted, thanking other countries and groups for their support. “Together we will build back better.”
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, floods have destroyed over 150 bridges, washed away about 150 miles of roads, and damaged 170,000 dwellings.
Floodwaters subsided in some regions, but in Sindh province, where rescuers were using boats to evacuate people, the situation deteriorated. Tents and temporary dwellings were the homes of thousands of flood victims.
On Friday, Sharif paid a visit to parts of Sindh province affected by flooding and assured flood victims of the help of the government. In the search and rescue operations, 6,500 Pakistani soldiers have so far evacuated more than 40,000 individuals.
The UN announced that $3 million had been set aside for the victims floods in Pakistan are aid organizations and their partners.
The money would be used to provide water and sanitation, health, nutrition, food security, and other services in flood-affected regions, with a special emphasis on the most vulnerable.
Scientists think climate change is a major cause behind the abnormally extreme weather, which has made life miserable for millions of people. Normally, the monsoon rains in Pakistan start in July, but this year, torrential downpours started in June, leading to floods.
The urgent problem right now, according to Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, is preserving lives and providing tents and food for people who have been rendered homeless by the floods.