KARACHI, Sept 5, (Agencies): Pakistani authorities were Sunday trying to protect another town from floodwaters in southern Sindh province, as the nation continues to grapple with its worst natural disaster in living memory.
A month after monsoons caused devastating floods throughout the country, submerging an area the size of England, eight million people remain dependent on handouts for their survival, which many say are too slow coming.
Surging floodwaters continue to threaten towns in southern Sindh, where 19 of its 23 districts have been deluged and more than one million people displaced.
“We are trying our best to protect Johi town, threatened by ravaging floodwaters,” district administration chief Iqbal Memon told AFP.
The town, which is 315 kms (195 miles) north of Karachi has a population of 60,000 and officials fear that floodwaters will breach embankments surrounding the town unless they are quickly strengthened.
“The floodwaters are fast heading towards Johi town after inundating most parts of Khairpur Nathan Shah town and Mehar town and several surrounding villages in Dadu district,” he said.
“We are right now employing all available means to strengthen the protective embankments around Johi but the threat still remains,” he said, adding that 70 percent population of the town has already migrated to safer areas.
Memon said that 90 percent people of Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar town and surrounding villages, which had a population of approximately 300,000 have fled to nearby towns that have been spared by floods.
“However, a few thousand people, who remain stranded in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar town and surrounding villages are being evacuated to safety by naval boats and helicopters”.
While the international community has donated $700 million, domestic anger has been mounting against the widely unpopular civilian government, which has come under fire for its handling of the crisis.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday told the lower house of the federal parliament that relief efforts would be extended to six months. He said that early recovery phase shall be completed by Dec 30, while damage and need assessment by World Bank and Asian Development Bank would be completed by Sept 30.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rehman and his family live under a tree next to a pile of rubble on a newly created island where his house used to be.
In the month since his home was destroyed in the raging floodwaters that inundated Pakistan, he has gotten no aid of any kind from the government or private aid groups to help him survive, he said.
More than 3 million people have yet to receive desperately needed food aid, according to the UN, and the Pakistani government says nearly 1 million people have received no help of any sort.
“They need everything,” said Ahmad Kamal, spokesman for Pakistan’s disaster management agency, who appealed to international donors to send tents, ambulances, mobile clinics and hygiene kits.