Islamabad [Pakistan], August 23 (ANI): A recent evaluation conducted by the humanitarian organization Islamic Relief indicates that 60 percent of families in the severely affected regions of Buner and Swat have lost their livelihoods due to flash floods, alongside significant destruction of homes and agricultural land, Dawn reported.
The emergency response team from Islamic Relief is actively distributing food and water in the area. Their assessment revealed that 73 percent of residences are either destroyed or partially damaged; 60 percent of individuals in Buner and 53 percent in Swat can no longer provide for their families; 80 percent of farmland in Buner has suffered damage; and nearly half of the livestock has died or been swept away, according to the report.
The assessment also noted that 40 percent of households are already reporting cases of diarrhea, with waterborne illnesses spreading due to contamination from the bodies of victims and livestock, along with the destruction of sanitation facilities.
Raza Narejo, the acting country director of Islamic Relief Pakistan, stated, “While the floodwaters are now receding, the consequences are significant and will impact the community for an extended period. The most vulnerable populations have seen their jobs and incomes devastated almost instantly, with 60 percent of workers in the Buner district now unable to support themselves following the floods,” as cited by Dawn.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of heavy rainfall and possible flooding in various regions of the country between August 23 and August 30, Geo News reported.
The NDMA’s advisory forecasts that Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will experience scattered showers and thunderstorms. The authority warned that localized heavy rains could trigger flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in mountainous areas.
Districts including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, Malakand, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Tank, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat are likely to be affected, according to Geo News. (ANI)
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