Karim Madad

Different areas of Pakistan have been severely hit by the current devastating floods leading to loss of many lives and properties.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman, during her remarks in a briefing on the current flood emergency in the country by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), stressed the need for immediate humanitarian and rescue efforts to rehabilitate the flood-affected people, WealthPK reported.

Inviting attention to the current climate crisis in the country, Sherry Rehman said, “Right now we are in seventh spell of a torrential monsoon that has left thousands homeless, 830 dead and 1,348 injured. From Balochistan, the monsoon system has moved to Sindh where 30 districts are under water.” She added that the magnitude of flood damages can be assessed from the fact that it has rained more than 395% in Sindh province and 379% in Balochistan province above the average rainfall.

“It is a climate catastrophe of epic scale, bringing in its wake the humanitarian crisis that could well match the magnitude of the big flood that was witnessed in 2010,” she pointed out.

“At this point, both sides of the Indus are flooded in Sindh, which is the current epicentre of the calamity. Shelter is dangerously impacted in 30 districts of Sindh, and even in Balochistan, and now the same kind of flow of water is being experienced in South Punjab. People are adrift, livestock and crops are damaged. It is a humanitarian disaster of unprecedented proportions,” she remarked.

She said that given the scale of the disaster, there is no question of the provinces or even Islamabad being able to cope with this magnitude of climate catastrophe on their own. “Lives are at risk, as thousands have been rendered homeless. It is important that international partners mobilize assistance,” she said.

Stressing the need for urgent and immediate relief measures, the minister said, “The current climate catastrophe needs immediate national and international mobilization of humanitarian efforts, not just in the form of food, shelter and basic survival amenities, but we need to amplify our rescue efforts.”

The NDMA, Pakistan Army, along with the provincial governments are tirelessly involved in dealing with this climate crisis. But shortage of resources is a huge challenge. It is important to coordinate needs of calamity hit areas and triangulate with development partners and donors.

“A concerted and well-coordinated effort is required to deal with this climate emergency that our country faces at present,” she said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also directed the authorities concerned to expedite rescue and relief operations in flood-affected areas. He has directed the NDMA and all the relevant ministries and departments to collaborate as consecutive rain spells were deteriorating the flood-caused destructions. He said as the flash floods had inflicted huge losses on the people, it was the nation’s responsibility to support their countrymen.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has also announced tax exemption granted to donations for PM’s Flood Relief Fund. In this regard, the FBR has issued SRO (statutory regulatory order) 1590(I)/2022 dated August 23, 2022, to exempt deduction of tax under various provisions of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. The Finance Division on August 5, 2022, issued a notification to establish Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund 2022 in which domestic and foreign donors can make contributions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPak