Pakistan called on the world Tuesday to speed up relief efforts
after torrential rains exacerbated major floods, killing 270 people and
making another 200,000 homeless in the south of the country.
Local
officials say devastation in parts of the country's main breadbasket is
worse than last year, when a fifth of the country was left under water
by the country's worst ever floods that affected a total of 21 million
people.
The government is trying to fend off criticism of an
inadequate response to the floods for a second year running, by urging
the international community to step up help to already aid-dependent
Pakistan.
For months, aid groups had warned the government to
invest in adequate prevention measures to mitigate against seasonal
rains, avoid a repeat of last year's $10 billion losses, and protect
those left vulnerable two years running.
"At least 270 people
have died so far because of falling roofs, drowning in flooding waters
and subsequent diseases among the affected families," said Sajjad
Haider Shah, a disaster management official in southern Sindh province.
Government
officials say at least 5.3 million people and 1.2 million homes have
been affected, with 1.7 million acres of arable land inundated.
But
a spokesman for Pakistani charity Pattan, working in the affected
areas, feared that up to 10 million people could be at risk.
"Estimates
show that 1.2 million houses are affected and people are really in a
bad condition, so that's why I'm saying this figure must be close to
double," Sarwar Bari, Pattan's national coordinator and spokesman, told
AFP.
Pakistan's meteorological department says average rainfall
across Sindh is three times normal, with the worst-affected districts
of Badin, Mirpurkhas and Thar seeing eight times the usual levels.
Chief
meteorologist Mohammad Riaz told AFP the figures were a 51-year record,
and the rains would continue for the rest of the week.
The UN's World Food Programme agency is working to provide emergency supplies to half a million people.
The
United States, whose relations with Pakistan nosedived after American
troops killed Osama bin Laden near Islamabad in May, says it is sending
food aid for nearly 350,000 Pakistanis and medical assistance for about
500,000.
Yousuf Talpur, an MP for the main ruling Pakistan
People's Party, said his home district of Umerkot was almost entirely
inundated and that little effort was being made to provide relief.
"My
party is in government, yet I won't hesitate to say it is yet to go in
full throttle to provide relief to our people," he said.
In the
southeastern town of Sanghar, most of the 125,000 residents have left
home because of flooding, said local official Anwer Narejo. AFP
