WEB DESK
The government fears that the scale of this year’s monsoon floods may exceed that of the 2010 mega-floods as Pakistan suffers the brunt of climate change in the shape of extreme weather patterns.
This was stated by Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Tuesday while addressing representatives of United Nations member states at flood situation awareness event held at the Foreign Office on Tuesday.
“With mercury crossing 53°C in the province of Sindh while triggering glacial lake outbursts floods in our northern areas, home to the largest number of glaciers outside the polar region, the current cycle of super flooding we see today is a part of these extreme weather patterns,” Bilawal outlined as he appealed for international aid to deal with the catastrophic floods.
“Over 30 million people in 72 districts across Pakistan are endangered by floods,” the foreign minister stated.
Bilawal highlighted the plight of the flood affected people, noting that they face hunger, thirst and diseases on top of the fear of dying from monsoon-triggered inundations.
“People are totally relying on food packs given to them by donors. They are looking up to us for survival.”
The foreign minister also pointed out that the ravaging floodwaters and thundershowers have taken lives mercilessly, destroyed crops, and swept away livestock.
Terming this year’s super floods as a climate calamity-induced destruction, he said “what we are facing today has been no above average monsoon. It is an entirely new level of climate-led catastrophe.”
The foreign minister said the rainfall in Pakistan since mid-June had been equivalent to three times the 30-year national average.
