11:51,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. Historic monsoon rains and flooding in Pakistan have affected more than 30 million people over the last few weeks, the country's climate change minister said on Thursday, calling the situation a "climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions,” Reuters reports.
Pakistan has urged the international community to help with relief efforts as it struggles to cope with the aftermath of torrential rains that have triggered massive floods since last month, killing more than 900 people.
"33 million have been affected, in different ways; the final homeless figure is being assessed," Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman told Reuters in a text message.
She added that the southern province of Sindh, hardest hit in the last few days, had requested 1 million tents for affected people.
"South of Pakistan is inundated almost underwater. … People are going to higher ground," she said.
"Needs assessment is being done, we have to make U.N.’s international flash appeal; this is not the task of one country or one province, it is a climate-induced disaster," she added.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a report that in the last 24 hours 150 kilometres of roads had been damaged across the country and over 82,000 homes have been partially or fully damaged.