Record rainfall and flooding in Pakistan’s Sindh province affected nearly 2.5 million people and inundated more than 405,000 hectares of crops. A total of 15,000 villages were flooded, more than 77,000 homes were destroyed and more than 137,000 damaged.
According to Sindh Chief Minister Sayed Murad Ali Shah, Mirpurkhas is the worst affected area in the province, with 931,901 casualties, followed by Umerkot, with 697,900 people. Mirpurkhas is dependent on agriculture and livestock, with a large part of the population living in extreme poverty.
Heavy rains overflowed the Chenab and Indus rivers, forcing residents in areas such as Haipur, Jamshoro and near the Guddu Dam to evacuate. In Rakhim Yar Khan, over a dozen villages were flooded after the Indus River overflowed.
In Khairpur, more than 1,000 people were trapped and forced to help themselves as government aid reportedly did not reach the area in time. The residents of Jamshoro also suffered.
Provincial officials have warned that more flooding is expected at the Guddu Dam on September 10. “Heightened alarms have been declared, camps have been set up and patrolling in these areas has been increased,” said engineer Aftab Hoso.
