CHALSADA, Pakistan (Thomson Archyde.com Foundation) – In late August, the swollen Swat River in northwestern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa turned and rushed into the village of Naeem Ullah, 40, plunging into Ula. 14 houses of Mr. and his relatives were swept away.
Mr. Ullah also destroyed the sugarcane that he had been growing on his five hectares of leased land. They have lost their jobs and homes and are unlikely to pay back the money they borrowed to buy seeds and fertilizers.
“I have to start my life from scratch,” says Ullah. “I lost everything. I can only pray to Allah to give me the strength to face the greatest challenge of my life.”
A third of Pakistan was submerged and 33 million people were affected, after months of rain and unusually hot spring temperatures accelerated the melting of glaciers, triggering floods.
More than 1,300 people died and an estimated $10 billion in damage, according to disaster officials. 1.6 million homes were damaged, 5,000 kilometers of roads were damaged, and 700,000 livestock were killed.
Millions of families have lost their homes and belongings, and many struggle to even find dry places to put temporary tarpaulins.
Major roads and bridges have been washed away, aid efforts have stalled, and authorities have been forced to deploy costly helicopters as their primary means of transport in some areas and deploy limited emergency assistance. there is
In the worst-hit Awaran district of southwestern Balochistan, floodwaters have reached the horizon in some areas and destroyed many of the poor’s homes.
Dishad Bulcha (21), a university student in the capital Islamabad, was attacked while returning to his village. Floods hit the village in July, swept away Burcha’s house and killed his neighbor.
Bulcha said pooling water could touch power lines and cause an electric shock. Bridges to the main city of Karachi are impassable, and major routes for transporting goods remain cut off.
Helicopters drop sacks of rice and beans, but “the quantity is too small,” he said. There was no kitchen, no dry firewood, and villagers complained in intermittent phone calls that they could not cook. “Many residents are angry, but most people just feel helpless. There is no one to help them. They are abandoned.”
Pakistan is heavily indebted. International aid agencies are already overwhelmed with requests for help from all over the world, and Pakistani families may have to cover much of the reconstruction costs themselves.
According to a disaster official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the state’s current policy allows farmers to receive compensation of 5,000 rupees ($23) per acre for damage to crops and orchards, which is equivalent to 5,000 rupees per household. The maximum amount of assistance is 50,000 rupees. The amount of compensation may be increased if a detailed calculation of the amount of damage is done.
The state government also announced compensation of up to $1,370 per home for damage to homes. Since July, it has earmarked 1.75 billion rupees ($7.9 million) for rescue and relief efforts.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed last week to provide $1.1 billion in aid to cash-strapped Pakistan.
But farmers, in particular, are worried that they will not receive enough support. Some say the fields are desolate and need to be rehabilitated before planting can resume.
Sher Alam, 47, from a village on the outskirts of Charsada, was unable to harvest his sugar cane when his land was flooded on August 26.
He has already borrowed $450 to pay off debt to buy seeds and fertilizer, and is seeking another $230 loan to restore the farmland.
Aram, who has five children, found work in a private car park in Charzada to support her daily needs. Flood-damaged crops serve only as fodder for livestock.
Sitting under a tree in front of his house, he expressed his anxiety, saying, “I don’t know how I’m going to survive.”
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the floods have damaged about 2 million acres of crops in Pakistan, impacting not only the economy but also potentially jeopardizing food security.
Burcha from Balochistan said fruits, vegetables and meat are in short supply and soaring prices, especially among the poor.
Floods in Burcha’s area could contaminate the wells they rely on and pose a health hazard, he said. “People will suffer and many will die.”
Many of the flood-hit people were less alert because they weren’t adequately warned or repeatedly issued warnings after months of heavy rain.
Alam’s village did not receive an official government warning for the late August floods, but was alerted by neighboring villages. With social media alerts, Alam’s village was able to safely move livestock and supplies in about three hours.
A disaster official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said monitoring systems in five rivers and two others in the province helped provide early warning. About 180,000 people were evacuated from the Charzada area because of the warning.
(Reporter by Imran Mukhtar)