Grief And Pain As Flooding Engulfs Pakistan.

Grief and pain as Pakistan drowns. 

There has been severe rain fall in Pakistan's providence of Balochistan, that has resulted in over 900 deaths, including those of children. People have been left homeless and forced to live on the roads and streets. Over 95,000 homes have been destroyed, around 504,000 livestock killed and 3,000 kilometres of road and 129 bridges destroyed. 

Currently one-third of Pakistan are under water with the UN describing the floods as ‘monsoon on steroids’. Pakistan currently appeals for international aid, as the heavy rain fall and monsoon continues; monsoons have affected around 2.3 million people in Pakistan according to the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 

As of now, forty five percent of Pakistan’s cotton industry has been wiped out, with Pakistan’s planning minister saying it will cost around 10 billion dollars, to rebuild the country.  

Pakistan has experienced flooding before, but never to this extent. The Indus River that flows down into the Arabian sea, is actually prone to flooding, but never on this scale.  

UK charities including Red Cross and Oxfam have called on international governments to provide aid. Health officials have also warned against growing water borne diseases such as malaria due to restricted use of latrine and the water not being able to drain away.  

WHO said it was working with the Pakistan government to help prevent the outbreak of malaria, cholera and dungeon fever. As such, the UN has launched an urged appeal for Pakistan, to help raise 160 million dollars. 

Floods have destroyed vital food supplies, infrastructure, farming and livestock. Such monstrous amounts of rainfall have not only caused property destruction, but created mass homelessness and an exodus of people, that will result in mass migration. Pakistan officials are unequivocal in their conclusion that the floods are a direct result of increases in the Earth’s temperature.  

One thing is clear, as Pakistan floods, no one can question the reality of climate change.