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Kabul: Flash floods triggered by destructive monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have killed more than 1,000 people and injured and displaced thousands more since June, officials have said.
The new death toll came a day after Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, asked for international help in battling deadly flood damage.
He said 33 million people had been hit by the floods – about 15% of the country’s population.
He added the losses caused by floods this season were comparable to those during the floods of 2010-11, which was the worst on record.
The government has declared an emergency to deal with monsoon flooding, which began in June and continues to wreak havoc in Pakistan.
The US, UK, United Arab Emirates and others have contributed to a monsoon disaster appeal but much more funds are needed, said Pakistan interior ministry officials, adding that Pakistan’s government doing everything in its power to help people.
In the north-west of the country, thousands of people fled their homes after rivers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province burst their banks, causing powerful flash floods.
The province of Sindh in the south-east of the country has also been badly affected, with thousands displaced from their homes.
Officials in the country blame climate change for the devastation.
But poor local government planning has also been cited as a factor that has exacerbated flooding situations in the past, with buildings often erected in areas prone to seasonal flooding.
