Reuters AlertNet Lite - Cyclone Yemyin in Pakistan

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FROM THE FIELD

Cyclone Yemyin in Pakistan

04 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT
Source: International Save the Children Alliance

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Pakistan Cyclone. Residents make their way through a flooded street after heavy rain in Lahore June 29, 2007. Pakistani police fired teargas on Friday to break up a protest by angry cyclone survivors as rescuers struggled to reach communities cut off by floods affecting 900,000 people. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza
PAKISTAN

Background

• S. Asia monsoon

• Pakistan violence

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(4 July, 2007) Cyclone Yemyin and flash floods have left thousands homeless in Pakistan's southwest provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh. According to initial estimates, at least 250 people have been killed, 250,000 houses damaged, and around 1.2 million people left homeless.

Thousands of children are now vulnerable due to the hot and humid conditions and communities are in urgent need of drinking water, food, and shelter.

The cyclone came just three days after a storm killed around 250 people in the country's biggest city, Karachi. The flash floods have affected fourteen districts of Baluchistan - with Turbat, Gwadar, Awaran, Bolan and Jhal Magsi being the worst affected - and have caused widespread damage to infrastructure.

Electricity pylons have been uprooted, wells and ground water tanks have been contaminated with muddy water, and many mud houses have been completely destroyed. Damaged roads are slowing relief efforts, and continuing difficult weather conditions are impeding a comprehensive air operation to meet the immediate needs of children and their families.

The town of Turbat and nearby villages of almost 50,000 people are solely relying on the local market for food; supplies will be limited until road access is restored. The forecast is for more rain in the worst-affected provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh over the next three to four days.

What we are doing

Save the Children has an emergency response team based in the town of Turbat in Baluchistan. We will be providing 25,000 of the most vulnerable children in Turbat district with food, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and other essential supplies.

Our team is co-ordinating with the government of Pakistan - which is airlifting food, medicines, tents and other supplies - and with UN agencies and non-governmental organisations to help children and their families left homeless by the flooding

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Topics

• Floods

• Water

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Emergencies

• Pakistan violence

• S. Asia monsoon

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Members

• International Save the Children Alliance

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Last updated:Fri Jul 6 15:56:59 2007