Pakistan Needs $10 Billion To Rebuild What Was Destroyed By The Floods

Pakistani Minister of Planning Ehsan Iqbal announced - today, Tuesday - that his country needs more than 10 billion dollars to repair and rebuild damaged infrastructure, due to devastating floods caused by heavy seasonal rains

"There has been enormous damage to infrastructure, especially communication, roads, agriculture, and livelihoods," Iqbal told AFP.

The United Nations and the Pakistani government launched an appeal to raise $160 million to fund emergency aid for those afflicted by floods.

On Friday morning, Pakistan declared a "national emergency" due to floods and seasonal rains, as a third of the country's land was submerged in water after the worst seasonal rains in three decades.

The floods caused at least 1183 dead and 1634 injured, according to the latest toll, and destroyed vital agricultural lands.

These floods affected more than 33 million people, i.e. one Pakistani out of every seven, and about a million homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

The National Disaster Management Authority said - in a statement - that most of the deaths occurred in the province of Sindh (south), which alone recorded 402 deaths.

The statement added that more than 1,634 people were injured, and more than 719,000 heads of livestock died in accidents caused by rain and floods.

More than 3,451 km of roads, 162 bridges, 170 shops, and 949,858 homes across the country were damaged.