Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Another 200,000 people evacuated in southern Pakistan

Another 200,000 people have been newly evacuated from the flood waters that continue to march into Southern Pakistan. Over 5 million Pakistanis are without shelter as their homes were destroyed by the worst flooding ever seen in the nation.

From the BBC, we read more latest about the moving flood waters and the health problems sure to follow.

The vast body of flood-water that has swept the length of Pakistan is now threatening previously unaffected communities in Sindh province, at the country's southern tip.

Overnight, the authorities have been organising a mass evacuation from the town of Thatta - near the mouth of the Indus delta - and surrounding villages.

At the moment, all that stands between locals and the vast weight of water is an embankment which has started to crack in places. If it bursts, the whole area could be submerged.

The task of coping with disease and urgent humanitarian needs is being made more difficult by the sheer number of people cut off by the floods.

An estimated 800,000 people are still stranded, the UN says - many in the mountainous north-west, where roads and bridges have been swept away.

The US has deployed at least 18 helicopters to fly regular relief missions, but the UN said it would need at least 40 more heavy-duty aircraft working at full capacity to reach those who have been cut off.

There are fears of further flooding as the Indus river at Hyderabad, already at a 50-year high, is expected to rise even further.

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