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Amid the devastating floods in Pakistan, affected families rendered homeless by heavy rainfall continue to protest in several districts on Sunday, demanding relief.
According to Dawn, numerous protestors gathered outside the Mirpurkhas commissioner's office before the arrival of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah late Saturday evening and raised slogans against the provincial government for its failure to manage the floods in the country. The gate of the Commissioner Complex was closed and a strong contingent of police was sent to the location to prevent the protesters from entering the complex, Dawn reported. The protesters said that they had been rendered homeless by several spells of downpour and flooding. In Sukkur, a large number of rain-affected families staged demonstrations against Khairpur district administration over its failure in draining stagnant rainwater from their area and neglecting them in the relief and rehabilitation process during this difficult time. The agitators complained that the municipal officials were not doing anything to clear the area of rainwater and sewage due to which other houses and temples were facing the threat of collapse, adding that they had not been provided food, tents, mosquito nets and other relief goods as yet. Meanwhile, traders in Larkana held protests over stagnant water in the trade centre making it difficult for them to do their business. Over 5.7 million people have been affected in Pakistan as the country faces the worst rain-induced flooding in its history. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports some 33 million people in Pakistan have been affected. Over 218,000 houses have been destroyed and a further 452,000 damaged since June 14, according to the NDMA. Livelihoods are also being heavily impacted - more than 793,900 livestock - a critical source of sustenance and livelihoods for many families - have died, of which some 63 per cent are in Balochistan and 25 per cent in Punjab. Around 2 million acres of crops and orchards have also been impacted, including at least 304,000 acres in Balochistan, 178,000 acres in Punjab and some 1.54 million acres in Sindh. Damage to infrastructure has further worsened the humanitarian situation, as the partial or complete destruction of over 3,000 km of roads and 145 bridges impedes the ability of people to flee to safer areas or to travel to access markets, healthcare, or other vital services, and restricts the delivery of aid to people in need. (ANI)
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