The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday told the National Assembly (NA) Committee on Human Rights that a total of nine spells entered the country during this year’s monsoon season, 5,769 rescue operations were carried out while over three million people were saved, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The member NDMA’s Disaster Risk Management informed that most of the deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) due to rains and floods.
He said that 1.6 million people in Sindh were rescued because they had been identified before the floods struck. “As many as 10,690 camps were set up in the affected areas,” the NDMA official said, adding, “Presently only 1,200 people in southern Punjab are without shelters. All others have returned to their homes.”
He further said that there were two hotspots, but were under control.
The official informed that a lake had been formed in Gilgit due to the flow of debris. “We have conducted a detailed study and are now assessing the losses caused by it.”
He went on to say that the NDMA provided 2,400 tonnes of relief items, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif provided 192 relief items. “Similarly, the provincial disaster management authorities provided over 3,000 tonnes of relief items,” he elaborated.
The NA body Chairperson Sehar Kamran asked the official for a briefing on the aid that was received from abroad. “We want to know how money matters were handled,” she said, and added, “Aid is required immediately in times of emergencies.”
Another member asked about the areas which were still under floodwater.
The member NDMA replied that some parts in southern Punjab were still flooded.
He stressed the need for creating awareness in people about emergencies.
The official disclosed that some people in Punjab had no idea about the floods, and they had to be forcibly evacuated.
Reporter: Rozeena Ali