Govt calls in army for relief operations as flood continues to wreak havoc in Pakistan

An undated video of an entire building getting washed away by floods in southern Pakistan is making the rounds on social media, with many users attributing the incident to climate crisis.

With the rain-induced floods killing over 900 people across the country and leaving millions without shelter, the Pakistan government has already declared a national emergency and has decided to call in the Army to help in the rescue and relief operations.

“Many parts of the country have been ravaged by the worst floods in more than a decade, affecting more than 33 million people,” said interior minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the floods have killed 982 people across Pakistan, with as many as 45 dead in the last 24 hours. Another 1,456 persons were hurt, with 113 injuries reported in the last 24 hours, it said.

Sanaullah said the armed forces are being deployed in the wake of the biggest floods in more than a decade.

“The troops have been called in under Article 245 of the Constitution, which empowers the government to summon the Army in aid of the civilian administration to deal with an emergency,” he said.

A formal notification issued on Friday read that the exact number of troops and area of deployment would be worked out by respective provincial governments in consultation with the military operations directorate and general headquarters.

“The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among all stakeholders,” said the notification issued by the interior minister.

The floods have wreaked havoc in Pakistan, ravaging the infrastructure of the country, with the NDMA reporting that more than 3,161 kilometres of road were damaged and 149 bridges swept away, while 6,82,139 houses were totally or partially damaged in the floods.

Floods triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains have submerged more than half of the country, leaving more than 5.7 million without shelter and food in 110 districts.

Sindh and Balochistan provinces have been worst hit by the disaster. According to the NDMA, Pakistan received 166.8 mm of rain in August, as opposed to the average of 48 mm – an increase of 241%. Sindh and Balochistan witnessed a 784% and 496% increase in monsoon showers, respectively, the Dawn News reported.

The Pakistan Railway has suspended its operations at several places in the two provinces, while Pakistan International Airlines also halted on Friday its flights to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, due to bad weather.

Minister for climate change Sherry Rehman said on Thursday that a “war room” has been set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at NDMA, which would spearhead relief operations across the country.