In response to the flash flooding caused by torrential rains in the
northern belt of Pakistan ACT member Church World Service (CWS) has
sent a team to the affected areas to assess the situation and the
needs of the people. At least 170 people are reported dead, many more
have been made homeless and much livestock and property has been destroyed.
According to media reports Mansehra district is the worst hit area
where a hillside village of more than 40 houses was swept away by
a mudslide caused by the heavy rain. In Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital,
and the adjoining city of Rawalpindi life came to a standstill. The
twin cities were flooded and hundreds of mud houses were washed away.
Media reports quote witnesses as saying that Islamabad was almost
completely inundated, with drains unable to cope with the downpour.
The capital recorded the heaviest rainfall for 100 years. The heavy
rainfall of the monsoon season follows almost three years of consecutive
drought that left the soil unable to soak up the masses of water.
