Flooding leaves thousands homeless
- 13 years ago
Widespread flooding in southern Pakistan has left more than 300,000 homeless.
These people have made it to dry land, but many have lost their livelihoods.
Frustration with the government is running high, some say they have received no help.
(SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) OMER KOT RESIDENT AMANT ALI, SAYING:
"It was raining heavily. The water from other areas also gushed down in our area, inundating our houses. We left most of our belongings. We could hardly save our children. Now, seven, eight days have passed, no one, neither police nor army has shown up. Other people are getting rations and everything, but we get nothing. If we get food for the morning, we don't get to eat at night."
This street entertainer depended on his monkey-and-goat show, but he says options are running out.
(SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) STREET ENTERTAINER JAHAN ZEB, SAYING:
"We fled Omer Kot. My mother had a stroke due to the cold floodwaters. Now, we are dying of hunger here. My animals, the goat and the monkey, have died. I don't have money to buy a goat and a monkey. Nobody helps me."
Aid agencies have warned there is a growing risk of disease.
So far there are 2,000 confirmed cases of malaria and health officials say this number is likely to rise.
These floods are a stark reminder of the damage wrought by last year's flooding that killed 2,000 people and left 11 million homeless.
Lily Grimes, Reuters
These people have made it to dry land, but many have lost their livelihoods.
Frustration with the government is running high, some say they have received no help.
(SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) OMER KOT RESIDENT AMANT ALI, SAYING:
"It was raining heavily. The water from other areas also gushed down in our area, inundating our houses. We left most of our belongings. We could hardly save our children. Now, seven, eight days have passed, no one, neither police nor army has shown up. Other people are getting rations and everything, but we get nothing. If we get food for the morning, we don't get to eat at night."
This street entertainer depended on his monkey-and-goat show, but he says options are running out.
(SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) STREET ENTERTAINER JAHAN ZEB, SAYING:
"We fled Omer Kot. My mother had a stroke due to the cold floodwaters. Now, we are dying of hunger here. My animals, the goat and the monkey, have died. I don't have money to buy a goat and a monkey. Nobody helps me."
Aid agencies have warned there is a growing risk of disease.
So far there are 2,000 confirmed cases of malaria and health officials say this number is likely to rise.
These floods are a stark reminder of the damage wrought by last year's flooding that killed 2,000 people and left 11 million homeless.
Lily Grimes, Reuters