Though the level of water in Dams and rivers has started subsiding, averting the further threat of floods across the country, but the devastations caused by floods are going to persist for years. In fact, it will take decades to return to post-floods situation as the infrastructure is totally or partially damaged in large number of areas in all the provinces.

With the passage of time, the impact of floods is going to become graver as the winter is approaching and a large number of people are living in the open with no shelter and little to no warm clothes or food around. In some places the situation has become so worst that even baby food is not available. 

This has prompted the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to appeal to world to arrange on emergency basis the baby food and blankets for the affected people on emergency basis. The number of flood-affectees is around 33 million which is mammoth and out of reach of the government which is already struggling with the economic crunch, so the well-to-to people and philanthropists should come to the rescue of the dying children, who are crying for food in the relief camps.  

As per data compiled by the National Disaster Management Authority, the death of precious lives toll from torrential rains and subsequent floods has increased by 37  more deaths on Saturday and the total tally stands at 1,545, countrywide. The actual number can be even more as some deaths go unreported in far flung areas.  Meanwhile, the World Bank (WB) first assessment report says that up to 15.4 million more people are set to go under the poverty line while our budget is set to face a mammoth deficit as it will widen to 2.8%.

On the other hand, the government report has suggested 40 US dollar billions losses by the floods as roads, crops, homes, livestock and animal have been washed away by torrential rains and floods. It means that our government will have still to stick and rely on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme but it can jam our economic activity, as feared by the economists. The food insecurity is staring us in the face as our standing crops have been damaged by floods.

The impact is lasting as the land inundated by floods have causes billions of dollars loosed due to damage of rice, sugar cotton and wheat crops.  Right now, we need food assistance on emergency basis. It is good to see that the Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) is making hectic efforts in coordination with the United Nations, international NGOs and other international bodies to secure food for the affected people. It may be recalled here that United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP) has granted an estimated 464,000 people in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh with food assistance which is a commendable effort but this effort needs to be further extended as millions are still without food in the country and living in the open skies with no shelter and food.  

On the other hand, the fragile economy is  going to suffer badly as our imports bills is going to soar to an unprecedented level with the import of food items, machinery for construction and medicine etc. On the other hand, the textile industry has been badly damaged to destruction of cotton crops, the raw material will not be available and our exports are going to hit badly,  

The clothing and textile sector in Pakistan is anticipating a drop of at least 30% in the value of exports following recent flooding. A large part of agri land is inundated, damaging the current crops, which has been partly or totally wiped out by the rains nd flash floods.   Before floods, it was expected that our exports will soar but now after flash floods, the exporters are disappointed as our exports are going to suffer badly.

The floods have shattered the hopes of our farmers and exporters as well with no hope of reaping the export crops. It may be mentioned here that the rice crop was expected to be ready by next month while the new rice was expected to reach the market by December but now it will not happen as rice crops is also damaged by floods.  In a nutshell, the situation is very alarming and only collective efforts can minimize the suffering of the flood affected people. The world community has also announced a large-scale help but that has not reached yet. The delivery of relief goods must be expedited before the affectees die of hunger or harsh weather conditions that will soon be upon us in coming months.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 19 2022

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