Around a fifth of Pakistan's total land area was impacted by the flooding. Extensive damage to infrastructure and crops significantly harmed the struggling Pakistani economy.
The ongoing devastating floods in Pakistan will have a severe impact on an already vulnerable population, says the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In addition to all the other damages they have caused, flood waters have destroyed much of the health care-infrastructure in the worst-affected areas, leaving inhabitants especially vulnerable to water-borne disease.
In Sindh, the Indus River burst its banks near Sukkur on August 8, submerging the village of Mor Khan Jatoi.
In early August, the heaviest flooding moved southward along the Indus River from severely-affected northern regions toward western Punjab, where at least 1,400,000 acres (570,000 ha) of cropland was destroyed, and the southern province of Sindh.
According to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association, the floods destroyed 2 million bales of cotton, which led to increase in futures of the commodity in international market.
The power infrastructure of Pakistan also took a severe blow from the floods, which damaged 10,000 transmission lines, transformers, feeders and power houses in different flood hit areas. Flood water inundated Jinnah Hydro power and 150 power houses in Gilgit. The damage caused a power shortfall of 3,135 MW.
It has also been reported by International Red Cross that a large number of unexploded ordinance such as mines and artillery shells have been flushed down stream by the floods from areas in Kashmir and Waziristan and scattered in low lying areas, posing a future risk to returning inhabitants.
Aid agencies have warned that outbreaks of diseases, such gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and skin diseases due to lack of clean drinking water and sanitation can pose a serious new risk to victims of flood.
Pakistani authorities have predicted that fresh rainfall is expected to trigger further two waves of flooding, inundating more land and swallowing yet more villages. One of this new flood surge is currently sweeping down from mountainous areas in the north and expected to hit highly populated areas in the coming days, while the second wave is being formed in the mountains.
Floods have submerged 17 million acres of Pakistan's most fertile crop land, killed 200,000 livestock and washed away massive amounts of grain.
The agricultural damages are more than 2.9 billion dollars, according to recent estimates, and include over 700,000 acres of lost cotton crops, 200,000 acres of sugar cane and 200,000 acres of rice, in addition to the loss of over 500,000 tonnes of stocked wheat, 300,000 acres of animal fodder and the stored grain losses.
These are some of the disasters caused by the floods.
In respond, world's governments, organizations, relief agencies rushed to mobilize all their tools and units to provide aids and support to the people of Pakistan as fast as possible.
Pakistan has appealed to international donors for help in responding to the disaster.
The United Nations launched relief efforts. It appealed for $460 million to provide immediate help, including food, shelter and clean water. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Pakistan on 15 August to oversee and discuss the relief efforts.
Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada,China, Denmark, EU, Finland, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, UK, and USA and World Bank all provided all kinds of help, aids and assistance.
Different Relief and Non Goverment Organaiztion offered various kinds of reliefs including food, shelters, clothes, clean water, sanitation kits, Hygiene supplies, medical supplies, medical teams, Tarpulines, tents, jerry cans, plastic cups, mattresses, mosquito tents, milk, milk powder, kitchen sets and means of transportation; Helicopters, Boats, Boats and donkeys.
Others are targeting to reconstruct houses.
UNICEF has set up 24 medical camps in the affected areas, benefiting around one million people.
The Pakistani government was blamed for sluggish and disorganized response to the floods.
President Asif Ali Zardari was also criticized for going ahead with visits to meet leaders in Britain and France at a time when his nation was facing catastrophe.
In Sindh, the ruling Pakistan People's Party ministers were accused of using their influence to direct flood waters off their crops while risking densely populated areas.
China and India were initially criticized for their slow response to Pakistan's calls for aid. It was described by The Diplomat as "aloof and blind to the tragedy affecting Pakistan."
On 13 August, India offered to provide around $5 million in aid, as well as official condolences.
Pakistan did not immediately accept the offer.
British Prime Minister David Cameron was accused by Pakistan of hampering international aid efforts after he claimed that Pakistan was responsible for promoting terrorism.
Some potential donors doubt that funds will reach victims of the flood, but will rather be diverted to Taliban and similar groups, despite a significant amount of the aid effort being directed by the United Nations.
With all the strong disaster, the corrupted authorities, the dis-organized government, the good and bad intentions of the doners, the tense political situation in the Near and Middle East, how can we know if some of the Relief Aids would reach the real people who desperately need those.
Sami Cherkaoui
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