ACT member Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS P/A)
reports that heavy monsoon rains lashed Lahore on 24 July, inundating
most of the streets in a matter of two hours. The Chief Meteorologist
reported that the rain was caused by an accumulation of monsoon moisture
from the Arabia Sea which extended to Sialkot, Bahawalnagar and southern
Pakistan, including Sindh and Balochistan. He said that the flow of
the system was less in the west of the country but more over the north-eastern
Punjab and southern Pakistan. He added that the monsoon weather had
yet to set in fully.
Since the evening of 24 July there have been torrential rains in
the Sindh Province, with Tharparkar district being the worst hit where
more than 1,500 mud houses have been seriously affected of which 200
have totally collapsed. Five thousand people have been rendered homeless
and five people died trapped under the debris of their houses in Diplo.
Islamkot, Diplo and Mithi are the most seriously affected areas and
according to the local elders they have never seen rains like these
in the past 50 years.
The people have started to shift to safer places and the local authorities
and Pakistan army have initiated rescue operations moving people to
schools and other vacant buildings. Public infrastructure such as
roads and electricity have been badly affected.
CWS-P/A is planning to provide assistance to the affected families
in Tharparkar District (where they are currently implementing a drought
programme – ASPK21) with the immediate release of tents from their
stocks. They further plan to provide shelter kits and food supplies
and are considering the possibility of requesting a Rapid Response
Fund (RRF) or issuing an appeal proposal depending on the information
received. CWS-P/A is in contact with partners, local authorities and
the Pakistan army to obtain further data and information on the flood
situation.
