US Centcom team to assess flood crisis in Pakistan

The Commander of US Central Command General Michael Erik Kurilla expressed grief over the catastrophic floods that killed over 1,186 lives and submerged a third of the country.

General Michael talked to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa via telephone and offered condolences over the loss of lives in historic flash floods in the country.

CENTCOM is sending an assessment team to Islamabad to determine what potential support the Department of Defence (DoD) can provide to USAID as part of the United States' assistance to the flooding crisis in Pakistan, according to a press release issued by Centcom on September 2.

General Bajwa thanked the US commander for pledging support to the flood-hit people of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner Christian Turner met with Army Chief General Bajwa earlier on Friday. The high commissioner expressed grief over the disaster caused by flash floods and offered help to Pakistan in difficult times.

The Army Chief thanked the British diplomat for his country's assistance to flood victims. He said the assistance from international stakeholders will vitally help in the rehabilitation of flood-affected people.

UK pledges £16.5 million to help Pakistan

The United Kingdom announced an additional £15 million of lifesaving support for flood victims in Pakistan following catastrophic floods that killed over 1,186 people and left a third of the country submerged under floodwaters, said Christian Turner, British High Commissioner to Pakistan.

In his video message, Christian Turner said, "My prayers are with the people of Pakistan and everyone who is responding to its floods catastrophe. The UK government stands by Pakistan in this critical time."

The British High Commissioner announced the aid for relief activities, saying, "Today the UK government announced a further £15m for flood relief efforts, bringing our total contribution to £16.5 million, which is equivalent to over 10% of the UN and government of Pakistan flash appeal."

He further said that this urgent lifesaving support will be geared towards saving and protecting lives as waters continue to flow through the country. It will include water and sanitation, shelter, home repairs and primary healthcare, especially for women and girls.

Flood death toll reaches 1,186: NDMA

At least 19 more people have lost their lives to widespread flash floods across the country during the last 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll to 1,186, said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in its report with the latest statistics.

According to the NDMA report, the latest 12 deaths took place in Sindh, four in KP and three in Balochistan. The deceased include nine children.

The disaster management authority said 256 people were injured in the flood-related incidents across the country.

The flash floods badly impacted 80 districts of the country, said the report.

The NDMA report said that 256 deaths took place in Balochistan, 268 in KP, 188 in Punjab, 22 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 41 lost their lives in the AJK.

The deceased include 244 women and 416 children. Meanwhile, the number of people injured as a result of the catastrophic flood reached 4896.

It is an "unprecedented climate catastrophe": UN

The United Nations has called the recent flooding in Pakistan an "unprecedented climate catastrophe", after over 1,000 people lost their lives to it, including 380 children.

The country has seen double the average rainfall, a whopping 15.4 inches in August alone.

Flash floods have swept away entire communities. Reportedly, one-third of the country is currently submerged in water with 15% of the population impacted.

The UN warned that Pakistan needs nearly $160 million immediately.

Experts fear the spread of water-borne diseases due to stagnant water.

Flash floods have deprived people of basic necessities like food, clean water, and clothes, let alone medicine.

it is due to ten times normal rainfall: ESA

Rainfall 10 times heavier than usual caused Pakistan’s devastating floods, the European Space Agency said Thursday, as it released satellite images of a vast lake created by the overflowing Indus river.

Rains, described by UN chief Antonio Guterres as a “monsoon on steroids” have claimed hundreds of lives since June, unleashing powerful floods that have washed away swathes of vital crops and damaged or destroyed more than a million homes.

Data from the EU’s Copernicus satellite has been used to map the scale of the deluge from space to help the rescue efforts, the ESA said in a statement.

“Heavy monsoon rainfall — ten times heavier than usual — since mid-June have led to more than a third of the country now being underwater,” it said.