BACKGROUND
Hundreds of villages in Punjab and Sindh were inundated by floodwater in the past few days, leaving thousands of families homeless. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as of Friday, August 16, the death toll from floods reached 98 and more than 100,000 people are affected. Approximately 370,000 acres of land is affected, with 150,000 acres of cropland damaged. These figures continue to rise as reports come in from provincial disaster management authorities and as more villages are affected by the increasing flood level as water travels downstream through Pakistan’s major rivers.
According to the Flood Forecasting Divisition (FFD), the Indus River at Chashma and Chenab River at Marala, Khanki, and Qadirabad are in high floods. The Indus River at Guddu is likely to be in high flood on Aug 20 and 21, as 600,000 to 650,000 cusecs water is likely to pass through this area, while there would be high flood at Sukkur between Aug 21 and 22. The water level at Ravi River at Shahdara is rising and it is likely to be in medium flood at this point in the next 24 hours because of expected rains over its lower and upper catchments.
CWS RESPONSE
CWS-P/A is closely monitoring the situation and the emergency response team is prepared is case further needs arise.
CWS-P/A is in the process of providing one-month food packages to 5,850 individuals (900 families) in Thatta, Sindh. The distribution to 395 families, which is possible with support from DanChurchAid, was completed on August 16. Christian Aid and UMCOR are supporting one-month food packages to 360 and 145 families, respectively. These distributions will take place in the coming weeks.