“The Government has responded quickly but the scale of this emergency is massive, and the country needs support,” IOM Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels said, adding that the organization is ready to play a significant role in responding to the rising needs caused by one of the largest natural disasters in recent years.
Daniels expressed solidarity with the people of Pakistan and the Government, affected by the severe floods. Pakistani southern and central regions, namely the provinces of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab, were seriously damaged. According to the IOM report, at least 1,162 people were killed and 3,554 people injured, with 324,386 houses being completely destroyed.
“The number one need for millions of affected people is shelter, and IOM is mobilizing to support based on our experience responding to the 2005 earthquake and the floods in 2010," Daniels added.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported on Monday that as a result of the monsoon rains and floods, continuing since June nearly a million homes were completely or partially destroyed, over 800,000 livestock killed and 2,200 miles of roads and 157 bridges damaged.
Last week, Pakistani authorities declared a state of emergency in the country and called on other states and international organizations to provide all possible assistance. According to the NDMA, Pakistan has witnessed 15 inches of rainfall this year.