PTI chairman Imran Khan Monday held an international telethon for flood affectees in the country and during three hours long telethon, the former prime minister collected Rs5bn, Geo News reported.
During the telethon, several celebrities joined Imran Khan. Chief Minister of Punjab Pervaiz Elahi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan and the former premier’s ex-assistant on social protection Sania Nishtar also featured in the telethon.
According to Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who moderated the event, the former prime minister collected over Rs5 billion in donations in a three-hour long flood telethon.
During the live telethon, PTI chairman Imran Khan said entire Pakistan had been affected by the floods generated by back-to-back monsoon rains. “More than 1,000 people have died due to devastating floods and the damages are expected to cross Rs1,000 billion,” he said.
The former prime minister said that the country would have to construct more dams to save people from such devastation in future. “The sole solution to prevent the catastrophes caused by a flood is to construct dams.”
British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan also joined the telethon and announced Rs5 million for flood victims. Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, who attended PTI’s live telethon transmission, announced Rs30 million for flood affectees.
His comment comes as another government minister said that one-third of the South Asian nation has been submerged.
Separately on Monday, Pakistan received a $1.1bn bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
That money is aimed to help the cash-strapped economy avoid defaulting on its debts.
The unprecedented flash floods caused by historic monsoon rains have killed at least 1,136 people and affected more than 33 million, over 15% of the country’s population.
The torrential rains have also washed away roads, crops, homes, bridges and other infrastructure.
“I think it is going to be huge. So far, [a] very early, preliminary estimate is that it is big, it is higher than $10 billion,” Pakistan’s planning minister Ahsan Iqbal told the Reuters news agency.
Mr Iqbal added that the country would face serious food shortages in the coming weeks and months and believed that the floods were worse than those that hit Pakistan in 2010, the deadliest in the country’s history which left more than 2,000 people dead.
To address the food shortages, finance minister Miftah Ismail said Pakistan could consider importing vegetables from arch-rival India.
On Monday, the country’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman described the situation as a “climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions.”
“Literally, one-third of Pakistan is underwater right now, which has exceeded every boundary, every norm we’ve seen in the past,” Ms Rehman told the AFP news agency.
Even before the floods Pakistan was suffering from an economic crisis and had been negotiating with the IMF over a bailout.
Official figures released in recent weeks showed that the country had only enough foreign currencies in reserve for about a month of imports as its economy struggles with an annual inflation rate of almost 25%.
In a statement on the $1.1bn bailout, IMF deputy managing director Antoinette Sayeh said: “Pakistan’s economy has been buffeted by adverse external conditions, due to spillovers from the war in Ukraine, and domestic challenges, including from accommodative policies that resulted in uneven and unbalanced growth.”
City of Edinburgh Council said additional resources would be deployed to support the clean up.
However, it said many residents would not have their full backlog of waste collected before the next round of action on 6 September.
People are being asked to store their waste “a little longer” while waste and recycling staff catch up.
The 140,000 households that have kerbside pickups in the city have landfill waste and dry recycling waste collected on alternate weeks.
The council said only one type of rubbish would be picked up per household.
Overflowing bins are seen on nearly every street, including along the busy Grassmarket
Edinburgh councillor Scott Arthur told BBC Scotland: “We expect residents to put the wheelie bins out on the streets as normal.
“That is a huge focus for us – just getting those kerbside collections back to normal as soon as possible.
“We won’t be collecting glass recycling in the short-term, so we can focus as much resource as possible onto getting the core service up and running, the residential collections and the city centre litter bins.”
‘I feel ashamed’
Public Health Scotland has warned of a human health risk from overflowing waste and advised councils to decontaminate areas where bins have overflowed.
Mr Arthur added: “I think it’s really important that we get things back to normal so we can be proud of our city and proud of our council staff.
“I feel ashamed at some of the sights we’ve seen in the city centre.
“I say that as someone who absolutely supports the staff because I think they deserve a fair pay rise.”
Edinburgh’s strike ended on Tuesday morning but more action is planned next week
Unions had been seeking an agreement from Cosla similar to the one made to council workers in England – which included a £1,925 flat rate pay increase.
The pay dispute led to action by refuse staff at two-thirds of Scotland’s councils and is also set to close schools and nurseries.
Edinburgh began the first of a series of strikes around the country after the GMB, Unite and Unison rejected an initial pay offer equivalent to a 3.5% increase.
This escalated last week when refuse workers at a further 20 local authorities, including Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, walked out despite a revised 5% offer.
A second wave of strikes is due to begin with hundreds of schools and nurseries also scheduled to close from 6 to 8 September.
On Monday, Unite and the GMB rejected a further offer from Cosla, while Unison said it would put it to its members.
Bin collections have been suspended in Edinburgh since 18 August
Cosla’s offer of a £1,925 pay uplift matched the offer to council workers in England – but only part of this payment was consolidated into staff salaries. The rest would be given as one-off cost of living payments.
Unions said this means lower-paid staff would not benefit as much as those on higher wages.
Unite’s industrial officer Wendy Dunsmore said: “In real terms it leaves the lowest paid workers no better-off and a significant proportion of the offer does not enhance overtime, allowances or pensions.”
Mark Ferguson of Unison’s local government committee said strike action was a “last resort”.
GMB Scotland’s Keir Greenaway said they had written to Cosla urging them to return to talks “as soon as possible”.
The Scottish government has given an additional £140m to councils to help fund a pay increase for staff.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney also said a further £200m would be offered over two years to provide a cost of living payment to workers earning below £39,000.
Mr Swinney added: “No deal is perfect, and I wish we could go further, but this deal does offer significant increases for those on low pay.”
Cosla said it was disappointed that unions had turned down an offer that was at the “absolute extremes” of affordability.
Resources spokesperson Katie Hagmann said: “We have done everything we possibly can to get to this stage and this offer – which is still on the table – is as good as it gets.”
During what could be his final week in the job, Mr Zahawi will meet US bankers and officials to seek “international solutions” to soaring costs.
Labour has criticised the trip, saying he should be focusing on the UK.
The two candidates for PM have signalled they will offer more help when elected on 5 September.
The government has been accused of not doing enough to help people cope with the crisis, amid warnings that people are facing a dire winter with rocketing energy bills. Many people are having to make tough choices such as skipping meals, while others are dreading the colder months.
James Murray, Labour’s shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, accused Mr Zahawi of being part of a “do-nothing Tory government” – adding that the chancellor was “jetting off to an international chinwag”.
“Rather than going on another junket at the taxpayers’ expense, the chancellor should start listening to people here at home and implementing Labour’s fully funded plan to freeze energy bills,” he said.
The chancellor – who could be replaced when the new Tory leader comes to power – will meet banking chiefs in New York to discuss co-operating on financial services, before heading to Washington DC to discuss support for Ukraine, the global economic outlook and energy security at the US central bank.
“These global pressures must be overcome through global efforts,” he said ahead of the trip. “I’m determined, here in the US, to work closely with my allies on the common challenges we face to create a fairer and more resilient economy at home and abroad.
Ms Truss’s campaign team says she will not finalise her plans for crucial cost-of-living support before receiving the “full support and advice” only available to the government of the day.
A campaign source told PA: “Liz and her team are working to ensure that they are able to hit the ground running if she is elected prime minister.”
The foreign secretary’s team said she is leaning towards targeted support over help for all, but maintained she is not “ruling anything out”, while it was also reported she is considering slashing VAT by 5% across the board.
A source close to her also told the BBC this week that she would prioritise tax cuts over giving direct payments to every household. Mr Sunak has said the government “must provide some direct support” to all.
Ms Truss – who polls suggest is the favourite in the leadership race – has so far promised to help households by reversing April’s National Insurance rise and temporarily cutting energy levies on fuel bills. Mr Sunak has proposed spending billions of pounds on further payments to pensioners and the low-paid over winter, arguing tax cuts would not help them enough – but has not set out details. He also wants to cut VAT on fuel bills.
tory leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are under pressure to detail how they would help households this winter
Experts and charities have warned lives will be at risk this winter after the energy regulator hiked the price cap on household bills by 80%.
The increase in consumers’ bills follows sharp rises in wholesale gas largely due to the conflict in Ukraine, which has reduced supplies of Russian gas.
The government has already said all households will get a £400 rebate on energy bills. It means about £60 will be knocked off energy bills every month for six months. Low income and vulnerable households will receive an additional £650.
However, energy prices have soared since that package of measures was revealed, and from October a typical household will see monthly energy bills of nearly £300 a month.
Meanwhile Boris Johnson, in his last week in office, will be in Dorset on Tuesday to see preparations for a government-funded scheme to give 7,000 rural homes superfast broadband.
It comes as work kicks off on the first major contract under the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit – the biggest broadband roll out in British history.
It is expected Johnson will also visit other parts of the country this week, in what’s been described as a “farewell tour”.
The race to become Britain’s next prime minister is in its final week, with Liz Truss appeared poised to secure the top job, along with daunting challenges.
Foreign Secretary Truss, 47, has consistently outrun 42-year-old former finance minister Rishi Sunak by wide margins in polls of Conservative party members who will decide the contest, which started in early July.
An estimated 200,000 Tory grassroots have been able to vote since earlier this month for their preferred candidate, before postal and online ballots close on Friday.
The winner will be announced next Monday and replaces outgoing leader Boris Johnson in Downing Street the following day — only to face immediate crises over the spiralling cost of living.
The unenviable job of leading Britain through its highest inflation in 40 years and warnings of an imminent recession arose after Johnson announced in early July that he would be standing down.
It followed months of scandals that eventually triggered Sunak and dozens of other ministers to resign from government, forcing his departure.
However, some ministers and MPs — including Truss — remained loyal to the end, arguing Johnson deserved more time to turn around his controversy-tarred three-year tenure.
Nearly 10,000 Tory members are reportedly so angry at his enforced resignation they are pushing the ruling party to allow a vote over whether to accept it.
The Tory hierarchy is resisting the move while Downing Street has distanced itself from the campaign, insisting Johnson will back the winner of the leadership fight.
Whoever that is may struggle to reunite the Conservatives, with the splits worsened by the bitter battle between Truss and Sunak.
Backlash
Eight Conservative MPs initially qualified to run in the race, before the party’s MPs whittled that number down in five ballots.
Sunak was the early frontrunner, topping all those votes of Conservative MPs while Truss repeatedly finished third.
She scraped into the final pairing on July 20 by just eight votes.
However, once the run-off began she quickly became the frontrunner, winning the endorsements of big hitters in Johnson’s outgoing cabinet and stealing the support of several MPs from her rival’s camp.
Sunak, who has faced a backlash from some Tory members over his part in ousting Johnson, has been relegated to long-shot contender.
The two candidates have sparred over their policies and records in several television debates as well as a dozen hustings in front of members — the last of which will be held in London Wednesday evening.
But with surveys showing Truss leading by more than 30 points, the contest seems effectively over.
However, recent polls of the wider electorate show the challenge ahead.
The main opposition Labour party now boasts a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in a deteriorating economic landscape.
The next general election is due by January 2025 at the latest, but could come sooner, with most people expecting it in 2024.
‘Remarkable achievement’
The leadership contest has been dominated by how to respond to Britain’s growing economic woes, with the rival candidates and their camps descending into open political warfare.
Truss has pledged immediate tax cuts and renewed focus on economic growth, while assailing her rival for pushing taxes to record highs and presiding over declining growth.
Sunak has emphasised the need to maintain current taxes — including recent rises — in the short-term, while pledging more targeted support for the most needy during the cost-of-living crisis.
He has argued his finance ministry record during the pandemic shows he can help Britons through the economic woes.
His furlough scheme, which temporarily paid the wages of millions, is credited with staving off mass unemployment.
First elected to parliament in 2015 and a Brexit supporter during the 2016 referendum, Sunak has accused Truss of “fairytale economics” and claimed her tax cuts will worsen inflation.
But analysts say the campaign has shown Truss — first elected an MP in 2010 — possesses superior political experience and skills.
“She was able to communicate effectively,” said polling expert John Curtice, noting Sunak had appeared a “bit brittle”.
Politics professor Tim Bale, of Queen Mary University of London, noted Truss had in some ways defied her own record.
A minister in successive Tory governments for the past decade, who voted to remain in the European Union in 2016, she nonetheless showcased a populist anti-establishment image in the race.
“She’s somehow managed to present herself as more Brexiteer than Rishi Sunak, who actually voted to leave (the EU), which is a remarkable achievement,” said Bale.
“Japan reiterates its determination to redress the historical injustice against Africa of not being represented through a permanent membership on the Security Council,” Kishida told the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Tunis.
“In order for the UN to work effectively for peace and stability there is an urgent need to strengthen the UN as a whole through Security Council reform,” he said.
The UN faces “a moment of truth”, he added. Japan was among five countries elected in June to hold a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2023 and 2024.
Kishida, speaking over live video from Tokyo after testing positive for Covid-19 days earlier, reiterated a pledge announced on Saturday to invest some $30 billion in Africa over the next three years.
He also announced that Japan would appoint a special envoy to the Horn of Africa, where a long drought has prompted the UN’s weather agency to warn this week of an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”.
Kishida said Japan would pump $8.3 million into the troubled but gold-rich Liptako-Gourma tri-borders area between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso that has been ravaged by jihadist attacks in recent years.
The aid will aim to “develop good cooperation between residents and local authorities” and help improve administrative services for the area’s five million residents, he said.
The Japanese premier also promised aid to train police officers and support “fair and transparent” elections across the continent, pledging Japan’s support for the rule of law in Africa.
The UN Security Council is made up of 15 members, five of whom are permanent and have veto-wielding power: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain. The other 10 positions are filled by other countries for two-year stints, five of which are announced each year.
Armed groups had exchanged fire that damaged several hospitals and set buildings on fire starting on Friday evening, the worst fighting in the Libyan capital since a landmark 2020 ceasefire.
A cautious calm had set in by Saturday evening and the health ministry said on Sunday morning that 32 people had been killed and 159 wounded during the clashes.
The fighting came after months of mounting tensions between backers of Abdulhamid Dbeibah and Fathi Bashagha, whose rival administrations are vying for control of the North African country which has seen more than a decade of violence since a 2011 uprising.
Rival administrations of Abdulhamid Dbeibah and Fathi Bashagha are vying for control of Tripoli
Dbeibah’s administration, installed in the capital as part of a United Nations-led peace process last year, has so far prevented Bashagha from taking office there, arguing that the next administration should be the product of elections.
Bashagha was appointed by Libya’s eastern-based parliament earlier this year and is backed by powerful eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar, whose 2019 attempt to seize the capital by force turned into a year-long civil war.
Bashagha, a former interior minister, had initially ruled out the use of violence to take power in Tripoli but subsequently hinted that he could resort to force.
Libya plunged into chaos following the 2011 overthrow and killing of its leader Moammar Qadhafi in a Nato-backed uprising, with myriad armed groups and foreign powers moving to fill the power vacuum.
Certain armed groups seen as neutral in the latest crisis moved to back Dbeibah this weekend to push back Bashagha’s second attempt to enter the capital.
Both sides exchanged blame on Saturday while world powers appealed for calm.
Shifting sands
The UN’s Libya mission called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities”, deploring “indiscriminate medium and heavy shelling in civilian-populated neighbourhoods”.
On Saturday evening, Dbeibah posted a video of himself surrounded by bodyguards and greeting fighters supporting his administration.
Wearing a blue shirt and accompanied by his personal guard, he shook hands and took selfies with supporters.
“We won’t leave this country to the scoundrels,” he said in the video posted on his Twitter account under the title “end of the aggression”.
He said on Sunday he would create two committees to survey the damage from the fighting.
Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity said fighting had broken out after talks to avoid bloodshed in the western city collapsed.
Bashagha denied such talks had taken place, and accused Dbeibah’s “illegitimate” administration of “clinging to power”.
Local media reported late Saturday that a group of pro-Bashagha militias that had been making their way to the capital from Misrata later turned back.
The fighting prompted several airlines to cancel flights in and out of the only working airport in the capital, and high school examinations set for the end of August were postponed.
But flights resumed and shops reopened on Sunday morning, while the University of Tripoli announced that exams set for Monday would go ahead as originally planned, annulling an earlier postponement.
On Saturday evening, Dbeibah ordered the arrest of anyone involved in the “attack on Tripoli”, both civilian and military.
A pro-GNU force from Misrata — the hometown of both Dbeibah and Bashagha — said on Sunday it had arrested several people involved in the attack.
But analysts said the crisis was far from resolved, with the capital controlled by a multitude of armed groups with shifting alliances described by analyst Wolfram Lacher as “a never-ending story”.
“The armed groups that found themselves on the same side in yesterday’s Tripoli fighting will tomorrow clash over turf, positions and budgets,” he wrote on Twitter.
“The factions that were pro-Dbeibah yesterday will challenge him tomorrow.”
Rescue, relief and rehabilitation on Sunday continued across Pakistan as the country faces the worst rain-induced flooding in its history impacting over 5.7 million people.
The death toll has so far exceeded 1,000 with 1,500 people injured, and 498,442 residing in relief camps across the country. At least 119 people have died in the last 24 hours, as reported by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The catastrophe has killed around 719,558 livestock. The government of Pakistan has made appeals for donations to cope with the devastating impact of floods on both national and international levels.
The flooding has also affected agricultural land and infrastructure in Pakistan leaving 949,858 homes damaged across provinces.
PM Shahbaz appreciates French President’s support
Turkey sends relief goods in first flight to Karachi
Taking to Twitter, PPP leader Saeed Ghani shared that Turkey’s first plane carrying relief items has landed at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport.
Zardari assures Bilawal’s support for flood victims
Former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that he is unable to help the flood affectees due to health issues.
However, he assured that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will be there for the victims during the catastrophe.
Sukkur Police withdraws FIR against protesting flood affectees
Following directives from Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, the Sukkur Police have withdrawn the first information report (FIR) filed against flood victims who protested during Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s arrival in the city.
The chief minister said that the flood affected people were in heart-wrenching conditions.
“They deserve every bit of help and support — registration of such cases is unjustified and unacceptable,” he said.
PM Shahbaz lauds armed forces for rescue of students in Kumrat
CM Punjab asks Mianwali administration to stay alert
Punjab’s Chief Minister Pervez Elahi has directed Mianwali’s administration and relevant institutions to remain alert.
“Be prepared for all kinds of circumstances,” CM Elahi instructed relevant authorities. The CM added that all security arrangements should be effective and comprehensive in all respects.
International leaders, govts express support with Pakistan
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has extended condolences on the flood-induced devastations in Pakistan during a telephone call with her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
The Foreign Office, in a statement, shared that Bilawal thanked the minister for France’s expression of solidarity and offer of assistance to the Pakistani people during tough times.
FM Bilawal briefed his French counterpart about the destruction caused across Pakistan by incessant rainfall resulting in floods and landslides.
He shared that a “UN Flash Appeal” would be launched on August 30, hoping that the international community would contribute towards meeting the funding requirements.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concern for flood affectees in Pakistan by quote-tweeting Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly on Twitter.
He shared that Canada will provide in-kind support including essential items for flood victims via international humanitarian agencies.
Pope Francis has also urged international community to step up for support of flood affectees in Pakistan.
Balochistan Corps issues directives to create bypass within next 12 hours
During his visit to the collapsed Bibi Nanee bridge, Commander Balochistan Corps has issued directives to local authorities to fix bypass, as affectees there remained stranded for the past three days, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Sunday.
The ISPR said that the commander asked to speed up work to create bypass and complete it within the next 12 hours. Army’s medical team has been sent, while arrangements for the provision of food and water have also been made via a special helicopter.
“Commander also visited relief camp for affectees of Mach and surrounding and interacted with people,” the statement read, informing that the commander ensured affectees about Pakistan Army and FC’s support for earliest rehabilitation, as well as their rescue and relief efforts.
The NHA chairman also met Commander 12 Corps later. During the meeting, the commander informed him about the bypass effort and asked him to restore all road links of Balochistan to the rest of the country at the earliest. He ensured the army’s quick assistance in the process.
Balochistan’s death toll surpasses 200, educational institutions closed till Sep 2
All public and private educational institutions across Balochistan have been closed till September 2, due to ongoing flooding in the province, the education minister said on Sunday.
The minister added that flood victims are being given shelter in government schools and colleges.
Around 247 people in Balochistan have lost their lives across flood-hit areas so far.
National Highway, Bibi Nani, and Pinjra Bridge have been swept away due to flooding in Bolan River. Seven link roads on the Ziarat-Quetta highway and four bridges have also been washed away.
Areas including Ziarat, Mastung, and Pishin were inundated, while Manjhoo Shori — Balochistan’s most wheat-producing region also remains submerged due to floods.
Skin diseases are spreading among affectees following their exposure to stagnant flood water.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshehra, a major portion of the Matta Bypass Road was swept away by the river due to a very high flood.
KP’s government has imposed an emergency and evacuated at least 180,000 people in 13 districts of the province to safer places.
The Gilgit River is also flowing in high flood. Over 45 houses were destroyed and seven people died due to landslides in Ghizer.
PM Shahbaz Sharif announces grant worth Rs10 billion
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday announced a grant worth Rs10 billion for Balochistan to cope with the impact of ongoing rain-induced floods in the province and assist flood victims.
The PM made the announcement following his visit to one of the flood-hit villages Haji Allah Dino, where he also met with affectees residing in relief camps.
Speaking to media during the visit, PM Shahbaz said that he had never witnessed such massive scale of destruction in his lifetime.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visits a relief camp in village Haji Allah Dino in Balochistan. — APP
The PM thanked nations including Turkey and UAE that have extended support for Pakistan during the catastrophe. He shared that assistance would arrive from both nations in Karachi and Islamabad, respectively.
“We are grateful to the friendly countries for their support and solidarity. The UK government and other countries have announced their support in this hour of distress for which we express our thankfulness,” he said.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reviews the situation of relief being provided inside medical camps in village Haji Allah Dino in Balochistan. — APP
The PM shared that the PM Relief Fund has been receiving donations and cited a contribution worth Rs45 million made by a group, as well as another significant amount donated by an individual.
Acting Governor Balochistan Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali, Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Aqeeli, as well as NDMA and PDMA authorities accompanied the PM on his visit during which he was briefed about the status of ongoing relief and rehabilitation works in the province.
PM Shahbaz being briefed during his visit to Balochistan. — APP
The province’s chief secretary informed the PM that 20 badly-affected districts including Killa Saifullah and Killa Abdullah, impacting around 1.3 million people of its population.
A total of 65,000 houses were completed destroyed, while the Quetta-Sukkkur road link had been cut off due to collapse of bridges. He also shared that 25 small dams in the province were breached and 78 others had developed cracks.
Aqeeli added that 450 solar tube wells were damaged, while millions of acres of agriculture land were swept away in the flooding. He shared that affectees were being provided cash assistance through BISP and arrangements were made to ensure food provision to more than 1 million people.
Sindh braces for deluge from swollen northern rivers
Pakistan’s flooded southern Sindh province braced for a fresh deluge from swollen rivers in the north.
The mighty Indus River that courses through the country’s second-most populous region is fed by dozens of mountain tributaries to the north, but many have burst their banks following record rains and glacier melt.
Officials warned torrents of water are expected to reach Sindh in the next few days, adding misery to millions already affected by the floods.
“Right now, Indus is in high flood,” said Aziz Soomro, the supervisor of Sukkur Barrage.
Thousands of people living near flood-swollen rivers in Pakistan’s north were ordered to evacuate from danger zones, but army helicopters and rescuers are still plucking laggards to safety.
“People were informed around three or four o’clock in the morning to evacuate their houses,” rescue worker Umar Rafiq told AFP.
“When the flood water hit the area we had to rescue children and women,” he said.
Many rivers in the area have burst their banks, demolishing scores of buildings including a 150-room hotel that crumbled into a raging torrent.
Guest house owner Nasir Khan, whose business was badly hit by the 2010 flooding, said he had lost everything.
“It has washed away the remaining part of the hotel,” he told AFP.
The flood-swollen rivers were also yielding unlikely riches. Locals scrambled to snag thousands of valuable cedar, pine and oak logs that had likely been illegally harvested in the mountains but were being washed downstream.
Climate change to blame
Officials blame the devastation on human-driven climate change, saying Pakistan is unfairly bearing the consequences of irresponsible environmental practices elsewhere in the world.
Pakistan is eighth on NGO Germanwatch’s Global Climate Risk Index, a list of countries deemed most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change.
Exacerbating the situation, corruption, poor planning and the flouting of local regulations mean thousands of buildings have been erected in areas prone to seasonal flooding.
In parts of Sindh, the only dry areas are the elevated roads and railroad tracks, alongside which tens of thousands of poor rural folk have taken shelter with their livestock.
Near Sukkur, a row of tents stretched for two kilometres, with people still arriving by boats loaded with wooden charpoy beds and pots and pans — the only possessions they could salvage.
“Water started rising in the river from yesterday, inundating all the villages and forcing us to flee,” labourer Wakeel Ahmed, 22, told AFP.
Sukkur Barrage supervisor Soomro told AFP every sluice gate was open to deal with a river flow of more than 600,000 cubic metres per second.
While the capital Islamabad and adjoining twin garrison city of Rawalpindi have escaped the worst of the flooding, its effects were still being felt.
“Currently supplies are very limited,” said Muhammad Ismail, a produce shopkeeper in Rawalpindi.
“Tomatoes, peas, onions and other vegetables are not available due to the floods,” he told AFP, adding prices were also soaring.
As the floods triggered by “above normal” monsoon rains killed over 1,000 people and caused widespread devastation in Pakistan, the international community conveyed its solidarity with Islamabad and assured all-out support in relief assistance to mitigate the sufferings of more than 5.7 million flood-affected population.
OIC appeals to member countries for aid
The Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha expressed deep sorrow over the casualties, massive destruction of property and loss of life resulting from floods in Pakistan.
In a statement, Hissein Brahim Taha, while offering sincere condolences to the government and people of Pakistan, expressed sympathies to the victims of the floods and appealed to all member states, Islamic humanitarian organisations and the international community at large for emergency assistance to mitigate the suffering of the affected populations.
Canada announces support
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country is providing support to Pakistan through United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund and Red Cross Canada to provide food, clean water and other essential services as quickly as possible.
In a tweet, he said like many other Canadians, he is also thinking of everyone affected by the devastating flooding in Pakistan.
UAE offers all possible assistance
United Arab Emirates has offered all possible assistance to Pakistan to mitigate the sufferings of flood victims in the country.
This assistance was offered during a telephonic conversation between President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
During the call, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed apprised the Prime Minister that UAE would be immediately dispatching food supplies in addition to medical, pharmaceutical, tents and shelter materials.
He also conveyed his heartfelt condolences over the loss of precious lives due to torrential rains and flash floods in different parts of Pakistan. He expressed firm solidarity with the people of Pakistan in this difficult time and wished all the injured a speedy recovery.
Iran, Turkiye assure all out support
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also received telephone calls from the presidents of Iran and Turkiye.
President Ebrahim Raisi and President Erdogan conveyed solidarity with Pakistan and assured all out support in relief assistance in all areas affected by heavy floods and rains.
UK announces urgent support of £1.5m for flood relief
The UK is providing urgent support to Pakistan after flooding in the south of the country killed nearly 1,000 people. Extreme monsoon rainfall has affected millions, with at least 700,000 homes destroyed.
Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South and Central Asia, North Africa, UN and the Commonwealth and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, said: “The floods in Pakistan have devastated local communities and the UK is providing up to £1.5 million to help the immediate aftermath.
“We are witnessing the catastrophe that climate change can cause and how it impacts the most vulnerable.”
$160m UN Flash Appeal for flood donations
The United Nations is set to launch a Flash Appeal in support of Pakistan following devastating rains and floods that have disrupted the lives of millions in the country.
According to a report by Dawn, the UN will launch a $160 million appeal.
In his weekly press briefing on Friday, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said a UN Flash Appeal will be launched on Tuesday, August 30, simultaneously from Geneva and Islamabad.
“As you can see, the scale of the disaster is so huge that it requires urgent cooperation and support from the international community. We are grateful to the UN, IFIs, and a host of our partners and friendly countries who are stepping forward with assistance,” he said.
Pakistan to receive $1 million from US
In an effort based on humanitarian grounds, the United States has pledged $1 million to Pakistan “to build resilience against natural disasters”.
The announcement follows an earlier decision to provide $100,000 in immediate relief, as floods caused by torrential rains wreak havoc in the country.
“We stand by Pakistan in hard times and offer our support to flood victims. In addition to $100,000 in immediate relief, the US announced $1 million to build resilience against natural disasters, and we continue to work together to mitigate future impacts of the climate crisis,” US Secretary of the State Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter.
“We need supplies, we need medicine and please rebuild the bridge, we are left with nothing now.” Those are the contents of a handwritten note villagers throw to our team when we visit.
The Manoor valley is located in the mountains of Kaghan – a famous tourist destination in Pakistan. The valley has been hit by a torrential flood that killed at least 15 people, including women and children.
Flash floods swept away the only concrete bridge connecting the scenic valley to the main city. Since then, all the villages on the other side of the river have been cut off and residents are waiting for help.
The BBC team reached the valley after a dangerous one-hour drive along a road was damaged at many points by the flooding and landslides.
In Manoor, two bridges have completely collapsed and a temporary wooden crossing has been erected. Here, we meet a woman sitting with her belongings. She tells the BBC she can see her home but is unable to reach it.
“My home and my children are on the other side of the river. I’ve been waiting here for two days now thinking the government might come and repair the bridge. But authorities are telling us that we should start walking around the other side of the mountain to reach our homes. But that’s a hike of eight to 10 hours. I am an old woman. How can I walk this much?”
She waits for a few more minutes and leaves when the rain starts again and water flowing underneath the temporary wooden bridge begins to swell up.
We see men, women and children sitting outside their mud houses on the other side of the river. They wave at us thinking we are government officials.
It is then that some of them throw us a piece of paper, packing it into a plastic bag filled with stones in order to throw it to the side of the river where we are filming. This is the only way they can communicate with the other part of the village these days. Mobile networks do not operate here.
The handwritten letter carries information about the losses they are coping with and also requests supplies and medicine for the stranded villagers.
“Many people are sick and can’t leave the village on foot. Kindly get the bridge built, it’s the main connection with the city,” the letter says.
“We need supplies. We need a road,” Abdul Rasheed, 60, tells us while speaking of his ordeal. He has lost his wagon to the flood – his only means of earning money to feed his family.
“There are many other people who have lost their property and means of income,” he says. “They need help. They need food. There was a small market here which was swept away. Shops had all the food and supplies.
“My home is on the other side and now I’ll have to walk for eight hours to reach my home. How can I do that in such an old age?” he asks.
Many shops and hotels have been destroyed here. Soheil and his brother have lost their mobile phone repair shop to the flood.
He tells the BBC he has three families to feed and is uncertain about his future now. “I don’t know what to do. No one has come here to help us as we deserve. Every shopkeeper here is worried. They are all poor people who have big families to feed,” he says.
The inside of a restaurant damaged by the floods
“These authorities and politicians come here for photo sessions and fun. They come, take photos and leave. No one is helping us.”
But the deputy commissioner of the district tells the BBC a comprehensive rescue and relief operation was carried out immediately in the area and all the hotels have been evacuated. He adds that an assessment has already been made about property damages.
“We have completed the assessment and flood victims will be compensated soon,” he states. “Work has already started regarding reconstruction of the bridge, but it will take some time.”
While the government blames climate change for the flooding, communities are criticising government and local authorities for allowing builders to construct hotels on the banks of the river.
“These hotels and markets blocked the natural waterways, and so we are witnessing much bigger losses due to the floods which could have been avoided easily,” says another resident in the main market of Kaghan.
Many hotels are built on the banks of the River Kunhar in Kaghan and the adjacent valleys. Floods have destroyed some of them, along with a police station and a religious school.
A woman stands outside her house in Charsadda district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
A few hundred metres from the police station, a family sits in a temporary tent right on the river’s bank. They say eight members of their family were washed away by the same flood.
Heavy rains and floods are wreaking havoc across Pakistan.
More than 1,000 people have been killed while millions have been displaced. Officials say at least 700,000 homes have been destroyed.
With millions waiting for food, drinking water and shelter, rescue teams are struggling to reach these cut-off communities. Provinces like Sindh and Balochistan are the worst affected but mountainous regions in Khyber Pakhtunkha are also badly hit.
Pakistani troops have also been called in to assist aid agencies in reaching the flood-affected areas as road links have been damaged and the only way to reach most communities is with helicopters.
Pakistan’s government is also appealing to friendly countries, donors and international financial institutions to assist them in coping with the calamity.
