Cyclone floods in Pakistan leave thousands displaced and desperate

By Amy BennettNEW YORK, USA, 2 July 2007 – Wading through waist-high water, families in Pakistan’s Sindh and Balochistan Provinces are looking for remnants of their homes and belongings – and sometimes for their lost loved ones.According to official estimates, more than 1 million people have been affected by floods since Cyclone Yemyin struck the region last week. Thousands fled to higher ground during the flooding, perching atop mosques and in trees to avoid being swept away.At least 100,000 people – and perhaps as many as 500,000 – have lost their homes in 14 of Balochistan's 29 districts. The Balochistan Provincial Government has confirmed 110 deaths and 200 missing, though the unofficial death toll exceeds 150. In Sindh, six districts are affected.The cyclone did extensive damage in the port city of Karachi as well, leaving an additional 200 or more dead and thousands without water and electricity.Lack of access causes concernGiven poor communications and the remote location of many affected areas, Cyclone Yemyin’s destruction cannot yet be fully tallied. But witnesses report scenes of devastation, with crops, livestock, roads and bridges destroyed. There are also reports of people still stranded in outlying areas of Balochistan, waiting to be rescued.Indeed, a great cause for concern at this stage is the lack of access to many of the affected areas in Balochistan. The province is largely cut off from the rest of Pakistan due to infrastructure damage and continued flooding. So far, only army helicopters and planes have been used in the relief operations.In the district of Turbat, one of the worst-affected areas, relief efforts are hampered and civilians urgently need help. Riots have broken out there among flood victims desperate for aid. Like many other districts, Turbat also has seen its water supplies contaminated and electricity disrupted.UN and UNICEF respondAs the UN mobilizes its resources in response to the Pakistan flood crisis, UNICEF has been tasked to lead several teams focusing on water and sanitation, education, child protection and communication, and to assist with the health response.By Saturday, 30 June, in response to initial requests from the authorities in Balochistan, UNICEF had already delivered the following urgently needed relief supplies:- 740,000 water-purification tablets- 33,600 blankets- 4,000 jerry cans- 12 tents- 50 metric tonnes of Unimix (a nutritious fortified flour)- Two new emergency health kits designed to provide for the immediate health needs of 20,000 people for three months- 20 water bladders- 56,000 packs of soap- 12 bales of cloth for water filtration- 2,000 fibreglass toilet slabs.In addition, the provincial government received support for local procurement of medicines and for trucking safe water to flood-affected communities.Sindh and Balochistan Provinces were not the only areas affected by Cyclone Yemyin. Storms and floods spread havoc over large parts of South Asia during the past week – including India, Afghanistan and other parts of Pakistan – creating an even more critical need for aid from UNICEF and other international humanitarian agencies on the ground.