Flood toll tops 800 since June in Pakistan’s ongoing torrential rains

 

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 1. Record monsoon rains were causing a “catastrophe of epic scale”, Pakistan’s climate change minister said Wednesday, announcing an international appeal for help in dealing with floods that have killed more than 800 people since June.

The annual monsoon is essential for irrigating crops and replenishing lakes and dams across the Indian subcontinent, but each year it also brings a wave of destruction.

Heavy rain continued to pound much of Pakistan Wednesday, with authorities reporting more than a dozen deaths — including nine children — in the last 24 hours.
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2. Pakistan on Wednesday appealed for international assistance with increasing devastations in flood-hit areas across the country, particularly in areas of Sindh, Balochistan and South Punjab.

The government has sought international community's support in relief efforts, as the country struggles to muddle through the catastrophic impact of climate change in the region.

The ongoing torrential rains in the country has killed over 800 people, damaged homes and infrastructure, and ruined crops and vegetation across agricultural land further deteriorating the country's already struggling economy.

The cash-strapped nation is facing trouble in funding and rehabilitation efforts while awaiting the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) approval for release of the required bailout package .