ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —
International aid was reaching Pakistan on Monday as the military and volunteers desperately tried to evacuate many thousands of residents stranded by widespread flooding driven by “monster monsoons” that have claimed more than 1,000 lives this summer.
Cargo planes from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates began the international effort to assist the impoverished nation, landing Sunday in Islamabad carrying tents, food and other daily necessities. Trucks loaded with tents, food, and water arranged by Pakistan were also being dispatched to various parts of the country by the National Disaster Management Authority for tens of thousands of flood victims.
Turkey and the UAE were among the nations that pledged to help Pakistan tackle the crisis after officials called for international help. The United Nations will launch an international appeal for Pakistani flood victims on Tuesday in Islamabad, the capital.
Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif on Monday said the rains are the heaviest Pakistan has seen in three decades.
“I saw floodwater everywhere, wherever I went in recent days and even today,” Sharif said in Charsadda, one of the devastated towns in the northwest. He said planes carrying aid from some countries have already reached Pakistan, and he predicted more would come. Sharif has said the government would provide housing to all those who lost their homes. However, many people displaced by the flooding say they not only lost their homes but their crops and small shops as well.
“I am sitting with my family in a tent, and how can I go out to work? Even if I go out in search of a job, who will give me any job as there is water everywhere?” said Rehmat Ullah in Charsadda.
Zarina Bibi, another flood victim, said soldiers evacuated her by boat.
“We were given a tent and food by soldiers and volunteers,” she said, crying as she recounted how her house had collapsed. “Floodwater will recede soon, but we have no money to rebuild our home.”
Rehan Ali, 24, a laborer in the country’s southern Sindh province, related a similar ordeal. He said he could not rebuild his home without government help, and right now he was unable to work to get food for his family. So, Ali said, he was relying on donations. The exceptionally heavy monsoon rains that triggered flash floods across the country have affected 33 million Pakistanis, damaged nearly 1 million homes and killed at least 1,061 people.