Presidents of Turkey, Iran, UAE extend sympathy over Pak flood crisis

Presidents of Turkey, Iran and the United Arab Emirates have called on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and extended sympathy over the devastation caused by floods.

Notably, UAE has sent food as well as medical and pharmaceutical supplies to the country to deal with the floods.

In a telephonic conversation with Shehbaz Sharif, the Presidents expressed grief over loss of lives in flash floods and assured all-out support to the government and people of Pakistan.

President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan commiserated with Prime Minister on the loss of lives and extensive damage due to severe rainfall and floods and said his country would always support Pakistan, The Nation reported.

While Iranian President Syed Ebrahim Raisi conveyed solidarity with Pakistan and assured of all-out support in relief assistance in all areas, as per the publication.

Highlighting the government's efforts in this regard, the Prime Minister shared that Pakistan had prepared a "UN Flash Appeal" which would be launched on 30 August 2022. He expressed the hope that the international community would contribute to meeting the funding requirements of the Flash Appeal.

The Prime Minister thanked UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his message of condolences on the loss of precious lives in the flash floods

"I am greatly thankful to my brother His Highness Sheikh @MohamedBinZayed for his message of condolences on the loss of precious lives in the flash floods. His words of comfort & support mean a lot to us at this time monumental challenge. We acknowledge his offer of support," Sharif tweeted.

The unprecedented rainfall and floods have created havoc in Pakistan.

Sixty-six districts have been officially declared to be 'calamity hit' by the Government of Pakistan - 31 in Balochistan, 23 in Sindh, nine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and three in Punjab.

Millions of children, women, and men have been affected since mid-June, and over a thousand lives have been lost. People have lost their homes, livestock, harvest-ready crops, and their only sources of livelihood.

Infrastructure across the country has suffered massive damage, and roads, bridges, and buildings have been washed away, Dawn reported.

Shehbaz Sharif's government on Thursday officially declared a "national emergency" after rains and flood-related incidents killed over 900 and left at least 30 million without shelter.

The country's climate change minister Sherry Rehman, in a statement on Wednesday, admitted Pakistan is not able to deal with the flood situation on its own.

"Torrential rains unprecedented in Sindh right now, Balochistan, DG Khan also at risk. No question of the provinces or Islamabad being able to cope with this magnitude of climate catastrophe on their own. Lives are at risk, and thousands are homeless. International partners need to mobilise assistance," she tweeted.

670,000 houses were damaged while nearly 800,000 animals died in the floods, the report stated, adding that Tarbela Dam is filled to capacity while Chashma Barrage was about to be filled. Over 33 million people have been heavily affected by floods in Pakistan as the South-Asian country seeks world support.