Islamabad, Pakistan
CNN
–
The relentless flood claims the lives of more than 170 people in eastern Pakistan, with about half of its children in the latest catastrophe underscoring the country’s vulnerability to the escalating climate crisis.
At least 54 people have come in the past 24 hours, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. This is after heavy rains swept through Punjab’s most populous state, knocking down homes and destroying roads.
The NDMA said at least 85 children have been killed since the flood began on June 26th.
Aid agencies warn that fears are rising in children, particularly vulnerable to the risk of catching drowsing and life-threatening illnesses from waterborne diseases.
Authorities say the military is being deployed to Rawalpindi city to deal with rising flood levels, and the military is being deployed, with the state of emergency declared.
Videos shared by the Punjab Disaster Management Bureau show dramatic rescue as floods submerge the fields and the entire road. For one, it can be seen by first responders who safely carry the child with an inflatable raft.
Heavy rain continues to hit Rawalpindi and the nearby capital, Islamabad, recording more than 100 millimeters on Thursday, according to Pakistan’s Weather Service. He added that more heavy rain is expected on Friday.
Mahal Hamad, a resident of Punjab’s Salgoda district, told CNN that he was “severely affected” by the flood.
Hamad, a daily wage worker who sells vegetables, said the flood had put him financially backwards. The roof of his house was broken and the rain started to seep in, he said.
“I had a huge loss. I was selling vegetables, but everything is submerged in the water. I’m just a person. I work all day, just to win 1,000 rupees (4 dollars).
Seven flood relief camps are set up nationwide to provide food, water, medicine and shelter to those affected by the flood.
Pakistan is at the forefront of a human-induced climate crisis. More than 230 million countries are being hit by two powerful weather systems. One runs through heat and drought, the other unleashes the relentless monsoon rain.
“This is more than just ‘bad weather’. It’s a symptom of the accelerated climate crisis,” Pakistan senator and former minister Shelley Lehman said in X.
This year’s permanent heat wave accelerated glacial melts in the northern part of the country, causing flash floods earlier this year.
Fatal floods from heavy rains in months of monsoons often bring headlines in South Asian countries. This year’s downpour has revived memories of the record-breaking flood three years ago.
Pakistan experienced the worst flood in history in 2022, of which a third of the country has sunk from heavy rain, killing more than 1,000 people.
The power of the flood washed away the house, leaving tens of thousands on the road without eating food or drink to drink.
As floods began to recede, a large number of water-related diseases began to infect thousands of people. Most of them are children. Parents desperately tried to seek help as their child contracted dysentery, dengue and malaria.
According to UNICEF, about 4 million children were still there a year after without using safe water.
