Millions affected by Pakistan floods

The United Nations has called for more than 350 million dollars in aid to help provided vital relief to victims of widespread flooding in Pakistan. More than five million people have been affected after heavy monsoon rains produced devastating floods.

This is the second year that severe flooding has hit Pakistan. Last year’s floods resulted in over 2000 deaths, and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

“It was in 2010 that the worst ever floods hit Pakistan and it covered almost all over Pakistan,” said Eric Dayal, National Coordinator for Disaster Management in Pakistan. “But now in August we’ve had downpours, heavy rains, which have affected the rehabilitation stage and also it has been flooding because of these rains, in the southern part of Pakistan, which is the Sindh province, and also some areas of central Pakistan, that is the Punjab province.”

He said, “We have already launched an appeal with Caritas Internationalis for 12,500 families that we are targeting presently, 12,500 families will be going in for shelter, we’ll be providing food items and help and water.” But he warned that if heavy rains continue as predicted, more families could be affected.

Listen to the full interview of Christopher Wells with Eric Dayal: