Pakistan PM Gilani says the floods have meant that 20m people were now homeless, a much higher estimate than the UN recently quoted.
This is a disaster of massive proportions – especially worrying too is that the United Nations has confirmed at least one case of cholera among the victims, in the Swat valley.
Pakistan’s UN envoy has voiced renewed criticism of the international response to the disaster. He says there has been a “slow” international response with so far not been enough help.
Flood levels are expected to surge even higher along parts of the already dangerously swollen Indus river, with disaster officials saying “major peaks” were expected next week in Punjab and Sindh provinces.
The UN on Wednesday launched a $459m (£294m) appeal for emergency aid, but says billions will be needed in the long term.
Analysts say the cost of agricultural losses is still hard to quantify – the Crops Protection Association put the loss of the cotton crop alone at $1.8bn, while agriculture officials said 17 million acres of farmland was under water.
Just devastating. THEY NEED MORE HELP.
Sat, Aug 14, 2010
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