KARACHI - Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the unprecedented monsoon rains and the subsequent floods have displaced 1,753,308 people in different parts of the province.
Addressing a news conference at the Shahbaz Building, where the office of Hyderabad’s deputy commissioner is located, Memon told the media persons that 341 people have been killed and 1,009 others have been injured due to rains and floods in the province.
The minister said rains and floods have also killed 13,623 animals. As for houses, he said 444,967 have been damaged and 287,447 have been destroyed. He added that the massive natural calamity has affected a total of 648,621 families across the province.
Memon said the natural disaster has destroyed crops spread over 2,798,895 acres of farmlands in the province. He said that 2,328 kilometres of roads and 60 bridges have been destroyed due to rains and floods. He added that six mosques have also been damaged. The minister said the provincial government has established 1,766 flood relief camps in the province. He said that 485,759 displaced people have been accommodated in these makeshift camps.
He said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has distributed 89,815 tents and 30,710 pieces of tarpaulin for the temporary accommodation of the flood victims. He added that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has distributed 7,443 tents and 8,900 pieces of tarpaulin in the province for the same cause.
He also said the PDMA has distributed 35,442 ration bags, while the NDMA has provided 4,780 food packages for the flood victims in the province. He pointed out that various philanthropists have been supporting their relevant district administrations in providing cooked meals to the persons accommodated in the makeshift camps.
He explained that the people accommodated in the makeshift camps do not have any means to cook their own food even after ration bags are provided to them. He appreciated the assistance provided by the philanthropists to help the victims of the natural calamity.
He advised private donors and non-governmental organisations to contact their relevant district administrations before providing relief goods and food packages to the flood-affected people. He said the control room of the PDMA can be reached for the purpose by using the following phone numbers: 0335-5557362 and 021-35381810.
Memon told the media persons that the provincial government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are ready to work with all the political parties to extend emergency relief to the flood-hit people in Sindh.
He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also asked his party’s workers to actively take part in the flood relief activities in the affected parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He also said that millions of affected people have been looking towards the government, political parties and media for emergency help. He stressed the need for setting aside politics so the politicians can sit together even with their worst opponents for the sake of the country and its distressed people.
He pointed out that politics can be done any time later on, but right now it is time to provide emergency relief to the flood victims. He warned that the flood situation can worsen in the coming days due to the feared high flood situation in the rivers.
He told the media persons that the provincial government has been working on the strategy to first rescue the people in distress, then later on work will be started for their rehabilitation.
Memon said rainwater has been cleared from 85 per cent of the areas of Hyderabad, while the accumulated water is present in the low-lying parts of the city.
He admitted that the worst situation of drainage has been persisting in rural Hyderabad, where there is rainwater everywhere. He said action will be taken against the landlords who prefer to inundate nearby villages for the sake of securing their farmlands.
| Memon asks politial parties to join relief operation
Addressing a news conference at the Shahbaz Building, where the office of Hyderabad’s deputy commissioner is located, Memon told the media persons that 341 people have been killed and 1,009 others have been injured due to rains and floods in the province.
The minister said rains and floods have also killed 13,623 animals. As for houses, he said 444,967 have been damaged and 287,447 have been destroyed. He added that the massive natural calamity has affected a total of 648,621 families across the province.
Memon said the natural disaster has destroyed crops spread over 2,798,895 acres of farmlands in the province. He said that 2,328 kilometres of roads and 60 bridges have been destroyed due to rains and floods. He added that six mosques have also been damaged. The minister said the provincial government has established 1,766 flood relief camps in the province. He said that 485,759 displaced people have been accommodated in these makeshift camps.
He said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has distributed 89,815 tents and 30,710 pieces of tarpaulin for the temporary accommodation of the flood victims. He added that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has distributed 7,443 tents and 8,900 pieces of tarpaulin in the province for the same cause.
He also said the PDMA has distributed 35,442 ration bags, while the NDMA has provided 4,780 food packages for the flood victims in the province. He pointed out that various philanthropists have been supporting their relevant district administrations in providing cooked meals to the persons accommodated in the makeshift camps.
He explained that the people accommodated in the makeshift camps do not have any means to cook their own food even after ration bags are provided to them. He appreciated the assistance provided by the philanthropists to help the victims of the natural calamity.
He advised private donors and non-governmental organisations to contact their relevant district administrations before providing relief goods and food packages to the flood-affected people. He said the control room of the PDMA can be reached for the purpose by using the following phone numbers: 0335-5557362 and 021-35381810.
Memon told the media persons that the provincial government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are ready to work with all the political parties to extend emergency relief to the flood-hit people in Sindh.
He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also asked his party’s workers to actively take part in the flood relief activities in the affected parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He also said that millions of affected people have been looking towards the government, political parties and media for emergency help. He stressed the need for setting aside politics so the politicians can sit together even with their worst opponents for the sake of the country and its distressed people.
He pointed out that politics can be done any time later on, but right now it is time to provide emergency relief to the flood victims. He warned that the flood situation can worsen in the coming days due to the feared high flood situation in the rivers.
He told the media persons that the provincial government has been working on the strategy to first rescue the people in distress, then later on work will be started for their rehabilitation.
Memon said rainwater has been cleared from 85 per cent of the areas of Hyderabad, while the accumulated water is present in the low-lying parts of the city.
He admitted that the worst situation of drainage has been persisting in rural Hyderabad, where there is rainwater everywhere. He said action will be taken against the landlords who prefer to inundate nearby villages for the sake of securing their farmlands.
| Memon asks politial parties to join relief operation
