Pakistan Calls for International Help as Flooding From Monsoon Claims Over 1,000 Lives

Pakistan’s foreign minister called for international help as unusually heavy monsoon rains continue to cause “overwhelming” floods throughout the country. Over 1,000 people have been killed in the flooding, which has been taking place since June, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. Meanwhile, some 33 million Pakistanis have been affected by the flooding in the north and south of the country, with nearly a million homes destroyed or badly damaged. The destructive flooding is being compared to the monsoon season of 2010, which was the worst flooding on record, and left about 20% of the country under water. Pakistani soldiers have been deployed across the country to help civilian authorities in rescue and relief operations. The first aid flights began arriving from Turkey and the UAE on Sunday. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told Reuters on Sunday that the flooding brought on by monsoon rains have wiped out entire villages and crops, which is the livelihood for many Pakistanis. He called on the International Monetary Fund to release the scheduled $1.2 billion for Pakistan’s bailout program despite the devastating floods. “Going forward, I would expect not only the IMF, but the international community and international agencies to truly grasp the level of devastation,” Bhutto-Zardari said.