Flooding in Pakistan

Map of 2011 Flooding in Pakistan

Heavy monsoon rains over the course of August 2011 have caused widespread flood damage in Pakistan. The southern province of Sindh was hit especially hard. The horrendous flooding has effected close to 5 million people, destroyed millions of homes, killed at least 361 people and displaced 600,000 who are currently living in refugee camps because of the continually rising waters.

The United Nations World Food Program has been distributing food, starting in the hard-hit city of Badin. As of Friday, more than 15,000 people have received assistance, the agency said. The agency estimated that 73% of food crops in the flood zone and 36% of livestock were lost or destroyed. The United Nations said Monday that it is seeking donors to build a $357 million fund to help the Pakistani government’s flood response efforts.

Flooding in Pakistan, August-September 2010

August and September of last year were also dangerous times for the people of Pakistan (see: US Media Ignore Pakistan’s Worst Disaster in Modern History); the flooding resulting from a Monsoon killed more than 1700 people, displaced 20 million, and caused 9.7 billion in damages to homes, roads, and farms in southwest Pakistan.

With the drought in Texas and the resulting wildfires in addition to all the other natural disasters that have occurred more and more frequently, it’s just about time that society wakes up to the reality of climate change. As third world countries hurt, developed countries continue to rely on fossil fuels and in turn significantly lower our chances of ever being able to turn away from it and still be able to salvage the environment.

Top Image Credit: AttributionNoncommercial Some rights reserved by Edge of Space

Bottom Image Credit: AttributionNoncommercial Some rights reserved by OCHA

 

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