Officials in Pakistan have requested the international community to assist with relief efforts as the country battles to cope with the consequences of heavy rains that created major floods last month, killing more than 800 people.
Funding and rehabilitation efforts will be difficult for cash-strapped Pakistan, which must slash spending in order for the International Monetary Fund to authorize the release of desperately needed bailout funds.
July's national rainfall was about 200 percent above average, according to Sardar Sarfaraz, a senior official at the metrological office, making it the wettest July since 1961.
“No question of the provinces or Islamabad being able to cope with this magnitude of climate catastrophe on their own. Lives r at risk, thousands homeless. Int’l partners need to mobilize assistance,” said Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Climate Change in a tweet.
According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), heavy monsoon rainfall and floods have affected some 2.3 million people in Pakistan since mid-June, destroying at least 95,350 houses and damaging a further 224,100.
Funding and rehabilitation efforts will be difficult for cash-strapped Pakistan, which must slash spending in order for the International Monetary Fund to authorize the release of desperately needed bailout funds.
July's national rainfall was about 200 percent above average, according to Sardar Sarfaraz, a senior official at the metrological office, making it the wettest July since 1961.
“No question of the provinces or Islamabad being able to cope with this magnitude of climate catastrophe on their own. Lives r at risk, thousands homeless. Int’l partners need to mobilize assistance,” said Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Climate Change in a tweet.
According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), heavy monsoon rainfall and floods have affected some 2.3 million people in Pakistan since mid-June, destroying at least 95,350 houses and damaging a further 224,100.
