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International aid arrived in Pakistan on Monday as the military and volunteers desperately tried to evacuate thousands of people stranded by widespread flooding caused by the “monster monsoon” that has claimed more than 1,000 lives this summer.
Cargo planes from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which began an international emergency aid to the impoverished country, landed in Islamabad on Sunday, delivering tents, food and other daily necessities.
They are among the nations pledging to help Pakistan deal with devastating floods after officials called for international aid.
A Pakistani boy sits under his stall in a flooded area on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, on Aug. 27 (AP/File)
The monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods across the country have so far affected 33 million Pakistanis, damaged nearly 1 million homes and killed at least 1,061 people.
Authorities in Pakistan said the damage this year was worse than in 2010, when floods killed 1,700 people.
The country’s military chief, General Kamal Javid Bajwa, said on Sunday that it could take years for his country to recover.
A homeless woman takes refuge under her crib (AP/File)
Last week, the United Nations said in a statement that $3 million had been allocated to the United Nations aid agency and its partners in Pakistan to respond to the floods. The funds will be used for health, nutrition, food security, and water and sanitation in Pakistan. Serve. Flood-affected areas, focusing on the most vulnerable areas.
Pakistan’s heavy rainfall this year is largely due to climate change, which has also contributed to this year’s forest fires, according to scientist and Pakistani senator Sherry Rehman, the country’s climate minister.
However, critics say the Pakistani government has shown little interest in building new dams and cisterns.
The unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four provinces of the country.
A trolley was crowded with evacuees. (AP/document)
The floods destroyed more than 150 bridges and washed out many roads, making rescue operations difficult.
The government has deployed at least 6,500 soldiers to help civil authorities carry out rescue and relief operations across the country.
On Monday, Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif was visiting several flood-damaged areas in the northwest of the country. Sharif has said that the government will provide housing for all those who have lost their homes.
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