Floods triggered by monsoon rains crippled Pakistan’s biggest city and commercial hub of Karachi yesterday, with few people able to make it to work or school, officials said.
Pakistan is haunted by memories of last year’s epic floods, which brought widespread criticism of the government because of its slow response.
More than 800,000 families remain without permanent shelter from last year’s country-wide floods, aid groups say, and more than a million need food assistance.
Photo: AFP
Pakistan’s already unpopular government now faces another crisis as monsoon rains, which have killed 270 people, sweep through southern Sindh Province.
New floodwaters have affected at least 5.3 million people, destroyed or damaged 1.2 million houses and flooded 1.8 million hectares since late last month, Pakistani disaster management officials and Western aid groups say.
In Karachi, the capital of Sindh, rain was forecast through today at least. Many streets were impassable, cars were stuck, several gas stations were inundated and no visible efforts were underway to drain water.
“We have recorded 50-100 mm of rain in Karachi and the situation is pretty bad. Many main roads and areas are inundated at the moment and it can turn even worse,” said Mohammad Hussain Syed, the city’s district coordination officer.
He said no casualties had been recorded.
Officials at Pakistan’s main stock market in Karachi said they would close early due to negligible attendance and thin trade volumes, but the decision was later reversed. Many banks were closed.
“I thought I would be able to make it to work, but it was a wrong decision. Now I am stuck. My car has broken down and I can’t even find anyone for help,” banker Khalid Hussain said, standing knee-deep in water.
Floods are the last thing the city of 18 million people needs. Political and ethnic violence, organized crime, drug gangs and Muslim militancy have destabilized Karachi, prompting recent calls for a military crackdown.
Monsoon rains sweep the subcontinent from June to September.
Last year’s floods killed about 2,000 people and made 11 million homeless in one of Pakistan’s worst natural disasters.
One-fifth of Pakistan was then submerged in water and the government faced a US$10 billion bill to repair damage to homes and infrastructure. Aid workers expressed fears over possible outbreaks of diseases linked to the new floods, especially among children.
The Islamabad government, reliant on an US$11 billion IMF loan to keep the economy afloat, will face another major setback if floods cause heavy damage to the vital agriculture sector.
India has also been hit by floods, which have killed more than 300 people and affected close to nine million since monsoon rains started in June, the Indian Red Cross said.
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