By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday appealed to the entire nation, overseas Pakistanis and international community to support the flood victims who were in dire need of rescue, relief and rehabilitation as unprecedented rains and floods had destroyed the lives and livelihood of people across Pakistan.
The president, in a statement, expressed the hope that Pakistanis, who had already displayed remarkable philanthropic spirit in the past, would come forward once again and contribute generously in cash and kind to support the rescue and relief efforts of the government and other relevant organizations.
He called upon all governments and institutions, NGOs and volunteers to offer their expertise and leadership to rescue, evacuate, and rehabilitate the affected people by providing them shelter, food and medical facilities.
President Alvi also called upon the media to motivate the nation to donate the essential items identified by the government through formal channels set up or endorsed by the government in an organized and disciplined manner, to the affected people to help them rebuild their lives.
The essential items may include readymade food packets, nutritious and warm food, rice, lentils, salt and oil and items of daily use, including matchboxes, candle packets, kerosene oil, solar lamps, polythene sheets, groundsheets, floor mats, tarpaulin, mosquito nets and blankets.
The president said that unprecedented rains and resultant floods had damaged standing crops, affected roads, bridges and embankments, and disrupted communication and transportation infrastructure, making rescue and relief efforts an uphill task.
He urged the international community to provide their expertise, technology, and required machinery to the relevant government institutions to help restore infrastructure and provide their logistic and humanitarian support to help relevant government agencies cope with the enormous task of aiding the flood victims across the country.
He expressed his confidence that just like the past, the nation would again come to the aid of the flood-affected people and would not rest till their complete rehabilitation.
The flood damages in the country are estimated to be more than Rs900 billion. According to the research of JS Brokerage, emerged on Friday, the floods that have occurred across the country this season have caused severe damage to life, crops and infrastructure. According to the report, the damages caused by the flood cannot be accurately estimated, but the damages will be more than Rs900 billion, which are more than the flood of 2010-11.
The country witnessed ‘more rain than ever recorded’ this season as there is delay in wheat sowing, while cotton and rice crops have been severely damaged, according to the report.
According to the report, exports will be low and imports will be high this season due to floods. It will take two to three months for the land to dry, which will delay sowing of wheat. Due to the delay in sowing of wheat, the wheat harvest will be affected and as a result wheat worth up to $1.7 billion will have to be imported.
As per report, it was said that rice worth $2.5 billion dollars was exported last year, which will not be possible this year, but cotton may have to be imported. Due to the deaths of cattle, the price of meat and the destruction of crops and gardens will increase the prices of commodities, due to which the inflation in the country will reach a new record. While the government will not be able to achieve the financial deficit target due to the increase in spending on public projects.
