The worst ever flooding in Pakistan

Flooding in Pakistan Continues

UN Secretary General has called the devastation in Pakistan the the worst he has ever seen. “This has been a heart-wrenching day for me,” he said after touring the affected area over the weekend. “I will never forget the destruction and suffering I
have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around
the world, but nothing like this"

The foods began more than a month ago and have hit about one-quarter of the country. Tracks of land remain under water, and hundreds more homes were flooded over the weekend. While the death toll of 1,500 is small compared to other disasters, the extent of the flooding and number of people whose lives have been disrupted is staggering. The Pakistan government is now reporting that up to 20 million have been displaced and made homeless and 1.7 million acres of farmland have been destroyed. Many survivors are now living in muddy camps or overcrowded government buildings, while thousands more are sleeping in the open next to their cows, goats and whatever possessions they managed to drag with them.

The U.N. has appealed for an initial $460 million to provide relief, but only 20 percent has been given. "Waves of flood must be met with waves of support from the world," said Ban. "I'm here to urge the world to step up assistance," he said.

According to the international aid group Oxfam, ten days after the Kashmir quake, donors gave or pledged $292 million. The Jan. 12 disaster in Haiti led to pledges nearing $1 billion within the first 10 days. For Pakistan, the international community gave or pledged $150 million after the flooding began in earnest in late July, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

For July 2007 floods in Pakistan's Baluchistan province, please click: www.unicef.org/pakistan/reallives_3149.htm