At times when the country is reeling under unprecedented impact of the climate change effects that have caused unprecedented floods with water inundating entire localities across the country, the ongoing visit by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to see for himself the devastations of the ongoing flash floods and  making efforts to  pursued the world to extend  generous support for the flood-affectees in the country is a welcome augury. 

His visit is going to highlight not only the plight of  flood affected areas but it will also show to the how to come to terms with the climate change crisis that has engulfed Pakistan, despite that fact that Pakistan is among the most unpolluted counties of the world but is being listed among the top ten countries of the world that are more prone to climate change effects. It may be recalled here that the UN Chief has already initiated an appeal  recently seeking aid of  $160 million to help Pakistan's to cope with the aftermaths of the over two months of rains and floods devastations across the country. 

In fact, the two months long monsoon rains which were abnormal in nature and the subsequent flash floods are unprecedented in nature which can be gauged from the fact that it severely impacted over 33 million people, also resulting in more than 1,100 deaths of the people since the start of the deadly monsoon in June last. The UN Secretary General  has depicted the country's catastrophic devastations as ' monsoon on steroids' as  millions are impacted badly by this unprecedented calamity that is still ravaging as is evident from the ongoing devastations in Dadu and Bahn Saeedabad where the water from Manchar Lake has wreaked havoc with the localities around. The River Indus is still in high floods in Sindh at various points and one is not sure when the water level is going to subside in the River. Millions of people are living in the open sky with very little to no food after losing their livelihoods, crops and livestock in the flash floods and being rendered shelter-less. 

However, the UN Secretary General is quite sure that his flash appeal will result in providing food, water, health facilities and another emergent needs to an estimated 5.2 million flood affected people  in the country. According to the latest date of the  National Disaster Management Authority, as many as  72 out of the total 160 districts of the country are calamity-hit while the number of affectees stand at over  33 million , who suffered massive losses including homes, livestock, standing crops. Most disturbingly the water which is standing everywhere and which has also broken the infrastructure like the roads, bridges, barrages, railway tracks and highways is also hampering the rescue and relief activities and hence only a high scale efforts can result in reaching out to the affectees effectively. And this is not possible with the support of the UN and the world at large. 

After few months, the winter will be upon us and in the wake of current situation is seems impossible to rehabilitate the millions by December this year so one can imagine the situation for himself.  

As reported, more than a million houses have been washed, over 160 bridges, and as many as 3,500 kilometers of roads across the country have been washed away by flash floods and totally or partially destroyed.

The number of farm animals killed by the flash floods stands at over 800,000 which are unprecedented in nature. In fact, the current flash floods are more destructive in nature than that of 2010. On the other hand, the country's food insecurity situation is going to worsen in coming months as standing crops have been damaged and the prices of food items and essentials have also skyrocketed due to the ongoing rain and floods devastations.

To conclude one would agree with Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman who has termed climate change as a matter of national security. In fact, the countries which are contributing to the world's pollutions that are resulting in Global warming which is an existential threat to the country must think over what they are doing to the humankind with their inept policies to not control the pollution level caused by them.

Our country is surrounded by high mountains in the south where the over 7200 glaciers melting due to Global warming and water from these mountains together with abnormal rains floods the rivers and cause flash flooding which leash a reign of total destruction upon the entire populations as evident from Chitral to KP, Sindh and Balochistan. In fact, Sindh and Balochistan are the worst affected as the rains started from here and they are still in grip of flash floods as the River Indus is still in high floods at various points.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 10 2022

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