by Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam
ISLAMABAD, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Unprecedented flooding in Pakistan, which has submerged huge swaths of the South Asian country, has killed nearly 1,500 people, data showed on Thursday, as authorities seek to step up relief efforts for the millions affected by the disaster.
The floods caused by record monsoon rains and melting ice affected 33 million people, sweeping everything in their path, and causing damage estimated at 30 billion dollars (30.11 billion euros).
The death toll stands at 1,486, including 530 children, the National Disaster Management Authority said.
Aid from the United Arab Emirates and the United States arrived in the country on Thursday, the foreign minister said, while the UN is still assessing reconstruction needs.
In recent weeks, authorities have erected barriers to prevent water from reaching key structures such as power stations and homes, while farmers face a lack of fodder for their livestock.
Pakistan received 391mm of rain, almost 190% more than the 30-year average, in July and August. This figure reached 466% in one of the most affected regions, the southern province of Sindh.
The government and the United Nations have blamed climate change for the rising waters, in the wake of record summer temperatures, which have driven thousands of people from their homes to live in tents or along riverbanks. open-air roads.
(Report Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam Islamabad, written by Alasdair Pal; French version Alize Degorce, told by Kate Entringer)