Pakistan appeals to international community for flood aid as death toll reaches 169

Pakistan appeals to international community for flood aid as death toll reaches 169

2011-09-09 02:54:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISLAMABAD (BNO NEWS) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday appealed to the international community to provide aid as the death toll from flood-related incidents reached 169 in southeastern Pakistan, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The country's National Disaster Management Authority reported that at least 169 people have died in flood-hit areas. Most of the people died as a result of drowning in flood waters, falling roofs, and landslides, according to reports.

Hundreds of people have lost their lives and over five million people have been displaced by torrential monsoon rains in the area. In addition, over four million acres of land is under water, 2.5 million acres of crop have been destroyed, and over a million houses have been damaged or washed away.

A statement from the country's Foreign Ministry said that it is estimated that economic losses could run into billions of dollars and warned that the situation could worsen with more rains in the forecast. It added that President Zardari has appealed to the international community for humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance.

The President has requested the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to mobilize the international community for urgently needed relief assistance. A team of UN agencies is visiting the affected areas for a needs assessment, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

In late July 2010, above-average heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions killed approximately 2,000 people and affected around 20 million others. It was the country's worst flooding in modern history.

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