One in seven people affected by monsoon rains

ACTION AGAINST HUNGER INTERVENES IN THE MOST AFFECTED AREAS IN SINDH AND BALOCHISTAN PROVINCES

From June Pakistan has been affected by the worst monsoon rains in recorded history. As the toll continues to rise, Action Against Hunger teams in the country are preparing to intervene in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.

According to the latest data, this year’s monsoon rains are nearly 3 times more than normal for the whole country and more than 5 times more than normal in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh which are the most affected. This exceptional monsoon follows a particularly severe drought that has led to a strong melting of glaciers and favored a runoff effect on dried out soils during the last months.

To date, 33 million Pakistanis, or one in seven, are already affected by this disaster. 6.4 million need humanitarian aid and more than 421,000 people have had to flee. The damage to livelihoods is also estimated to be particularly severe. More than 719,000 head of livestock have died and more than 2 million hectares of crops and orchards have been devastated by the floods.

Currently, Action Against Hunger initiated its emergency response in Sindh and Balochistan in the first week of August and have begun distributing more than 150 latrine construction kits to displaced camps in Thatta district of Sindh province and Pishin district of Balochitsan province. The objective is to avoid any epidemic contagion in a region regularly affected by cholera epidemics.

Action Against Hunger’s response will focus more in the coming days on the provinces of Sindh (Thatta, Badin, Jacobabad, Kashmore and Kambar shahdadkot districts) and Balochistan (Khuzdar, Pishin, Killa Abudullah, Jhal Magsi and Killa Saifullah districts) which are particularly affected by the devastating effects of the monsoon. In Badin district, 25% of the population is displaced, 57% do not have adequate access to drinking water and 41% do not have adequate access to food.

“While national efforts are underway to support those affected by the rains and floods, international solidarity is crucial to adequately address immediate needs. More funds need to be allocated to the humanitarian response to enable us to respond to the situation,” explains Jennifer Ankrom-Khan.

So far, the United Nations has launched an appeal for donations, but the funds allocated are very limited at the moment. Of the estimated $160 million to meet the needs, only $10 million has been allocated so far.

“Furthermore, there is a real risk of long-term impacts on the food supply and market in a country already affected by a major economic crisis through the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemics and the war in Ukraine. In Pakistan, 27 million people are already food insecure” concludes Jennifer Ankrom-Khan.

Action Against Hunger has been in Pakistan since 1979 and has effectively delivered the development and humanitarian assistance in hard-to-reach and under-served areas of Sindh, KP, and Balochistan whereby helping more than 2.2 million people in the year 2021 through its multisectoral programmes.