Pakistan has appealed to the international community for an “immense humanitarian response” to unprecedented flooding that has left at least 1,265 people dead.
The request came even as planes carried supplies to the impoverished country across a humanitarian air bridge.
International attention to Pakistan’s plight has increased as the number of fatalities and homeless have risen. According to initial government estimates, the rain and flooding have caused about £8 billion in damage.
At a news conference on Saturday, federal planning minister Ahsan Iqbal said: “The scale of devastation is massive and requires an immense humanitarian response for 33 million people. For this I appeal to my fellow Pakistanis, Pakistan expatriates and the international community to help Pakistan in this hour of need.”
Multiple officials and experts have blamed the unusual monsoon rains and flooding on climate change, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Earlier this week, Mr Guterres called on the world to stop “sleepwalking” through the deadly climate crisis. He will visit Pakistan next Friday to tour flood-hit areas and meet with officials.
The United Nations and Pakistan has already jointly issued an appeal for £140 million in emergency funding to help the millions of people affected by the floods, which have damaged more than one million homes.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority in its latest report on Saturday counted 57 more deaths from flood-affected areas. That brought the total death toll since monsoon rains began in mid-June to 1,265, including 441 children.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s earlier appeal for aid got a quick response from the international community, which sent planes loaded with relief goods. A French aircraft carrying relief goods landed in Islamabad on Saturday and was received by minister for national health services Abdul Qadir Patel.
The French plane’s arrival followed the ninth flight from the United Arab Emirates and the first from Uzbekistan. Those flights were the latest to land in Islamabad overnight.
Mr Patel said the relief goods sent by France included medicine and large dewatering pumps to reduce water levels. He said France has also sent a team of doctors and experts.
Pakistan has established a National Flood Response and Co-ordination Centre to distribute the arriving aid among the affected population. Mr Iqbal is supervising the army-led centre.
He said rains this monsoon season have lashed most areas of Baluchistan and Sindh provinces as well as parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces. The Gilgit-Baltistan territory is also affected.
The army has established 147 relief camps sheltering and feeding more than 50,000 displaced people, while 250 medical camps have provided help to 83,000 people so far.
Health officials have expressed concern about the spread of water-borne diseases among the homeless people living in relief camps and in tents alongside roads.
Officials said areas of the country expected to receive 15%-20% additional rains this year actually received in excess of 400% more. Collectively, the country has seen 190% more rain this monsoon season.
