Rescue plans suspended as water levels rise
The ongoing floods in Pakistan have already killed 1,400, displaced 25,000, and put hundreds of thousands of people at risk of homelessness. Now, Pakistan’s government said this natural disaster seems to be growing by the hour. On Tuesday, the government issued new storm warnings as monsoon rains resumed, which means no relief yet in the worst floods in the country in 80 years. The continuing downpour has forced the suspension of relief activities in several northwestern parts of the country. There are also fears that the high water levels would threaten Pakistan’s third-biggest dam. Forced evacuation is a possibility, and Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani has asked the government to approach the United Nations for help in preparing a call to the international community for emergency aid. In a statement, the United Nations refugee agency pointed out that some of the people displaced by the floods had already been fleeing earlier emergencies.
New York Times