United Nations: Flash foods, triggered by heavy rainfall last week, have resulted in over two dozen deaths and destruction of more than 400 houses in North-West
Pakistan, United Nations humanitarian agencies said today.
"The floods have caused reported deaths of 27 people,
with up to nine people reported missing. Up to 450 homes were
also destroyed, along with a massive loss of crops and
livestock," UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe said.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) said local officials reported that some 80,000
people have been affected by floods in Swabi district, with
officials declaring a state of emergency in a number of towns
there.
The United Nations is currently conducting an
assessment of the damage and UN experts are warning of a
possibility of food shortage. Current humanitarian needs
include medicine, tents, drinking water and aqua tabs, Okabe
said.
The floods have submerged cultivated land, with maize,
rice, sugarcane and tobacco crops being destroyed. Further,
livestock has also been washed away, OCHA said.
A UN team is currently assessing flood-affected areas.
Bureau Report
