Floods have affected 4.5m people: UN

Devastating floods have affected an estimated 4.5 million people across Pakistan according to the UN.

Devastating floods have affected an estimated 4.5 million people across Pakistan, United Nations officials said on Friday, as relief workers warned that aid needs were "absolutely daunting".

"The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates globally that 4.5 million people have been affected by the flooding," said UN spokeswoman Elena Ponomareva, marking an increase of some 300,000 in a day.

Citing estimates from Pakistani authorities, UN relief agencies said an estimated 252,000 homes have been destroyed as relentless monsoon rains continue and flood water roll southwards through some of the poorest parts of the country. "As we're hearing, the scale of the needs is absolutely daunting," said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Floods continue to destroy villages and important facilities in Punjab, while people are not happy with rehabilitation efforts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Rainfall last night caused the water level in Kot Addu to rise. Thousands of people have been stranded, many of them are homeless and waiting for government aid.

Hundreds of thousands of wheat bags were ruined due to floods at the PASCO center in Kot Adu. Authorities have starting erecting protective embankments around PARCO oil refinery, which is under threat of being submerged as well.

The Muzaffargarh canal has been breached while the Ganji Wala bridge has also collapsed.

The army is conducting relief efforts, installing steel plates at the railway crossing to prevent water from entering the PEPCO building while reports indicate that theft has increased, as most residents have moved out of the area.

The Kot Addu Power Station and the Lal Pir Thermal Power Plant have closed down due to the raging floods.

Twelve turbines of the Kot Addu power station and two turbines of the Lal Pir Power Plant are inactive, which produce 1600mw of electricity hence their closure has plunged the country further into energy crisis. Kot Addu and its adoining areas have been without power for the last four days.

Muzaffargarh

Oil supply from the Pak-Arab refinery has been suspended due to raging flood water in the town of Gujrat in District Muzaffargarh.

Rescue workers are busy making an embankment around the refinery, which fulfils 47 per cent of the total oil demand of the country.

Reports indicate that the Pak-Arab Refinery and the Lal Pir Tharmal Power Plant can be badly affected if water level rises further in the area.

More than 150,000 people have so far been affected by the floods in the area, but no relief camp has been set up by the government.

Rahim Yar Khan

A flood torrent in River Indus has wreaked havoc in Rahim Yar Khan, as water levels continue to rise.

Dozens of dikes burst in the last 24 hours, submerging many villages and demolishing thousands of mud houses.

Authorities have ordered evacuation of several villages in the region, as floodwater entered the Kewra Mines.

Heavy rains have also triggered flash-floods in Cholistan, which have destroyed cotton crop cultivated on hundreds of acres.

Areas from Thal Hamza to Machka have also been inundated. Many people are waiting for government assistance, while others are leaving the area on their own, amid continuous torrential rains.

Army personnel are engaged in rescue operations in many areas, but the process is slow due to shortage of manpower and motorboats.

Dera Ghazi Khan

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has called for national solidarity and support for the Kalabagh Dam.

Sharif said the Punjab government assures full cooperation across the provinces and at the national level for the construction of dams.

He said that the devastating floods have plunged the country into crisis and affected people are looking for relief and assistance. He also urged wealthy people to do their part in helping those affected by the floods.

Sindh

Water level in the upstream of Guddu Barrage stands at 962,000 cusecs, while water in the upstream of Sukkur Barrage stands at 615,000 cusecs, which is enough to inundate the entire area.

Water pressure is also gradually increasing at Nusrat Loop Dyke, Kachu Bandi Dyke, KK Dyke and SM Dyke.

Meanwhile, the army, navy and rangers are engaged in evacuating residents. Medical camps have also been established for the affectees but facilities at the relief camps are less than required.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

As water level recedes in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, rehabilitation efforts have started in the flood affected areas of the province.

But most of the flood-stricken people in district Charsada, Nowshera, Swat and Tank are not happy with the steps taken by the government for their help.

In DI Khan, many affected people are still awaiting evacuation, while prices of daily commodities are on the rise and petrol and diesel are not available in the province.

Moreover the Met Department has predicted more heavy rains in the next three days.