KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed hope that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres after visiting flood-affected areas will call upon international community to lend a helping hand to Pakistan as it battles devastation after unprecedented floods.

Speaking to media after visit to Mazar-e-Quaid on country’s founder’s 74th death anniversary, he said that UN UNSG personally witnessed destruction caused by rain-induced floods in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan and in upcoming UN session humanitarian crisis will be discussed.

“I am sure the international community would help us to face situation and rehabilitate affected people,” he stated. He expressed disbelief as he said he had never seen such a catastrophe. “More than 1.5 million people have been displaced, of them over 600,000 shifted to camps,” he said and added that he requested UNSG for assistance of tents and medicines.

CM Shah said that he has released budget allocated for purchase of medicines so that flood-affected people facing different ailments could be treated properly. Responding to a question, he said that standing crops worth Rs 50 billion have been washed away.

“I have discussed with UN Secretary General that we would have to offer an agricultural package, otherwise grower would not be able to sow Rabi crops,” he said and added he was trying to dewater agricultural lands so that Rabi crops could be planted by first week of December.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 12 2022

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