QUETTA, July 13: Representatives of United Nations aid agencies have completed assessment of losses caused by recent cyclone and floods after visits to various districts of Balochistan.
Two teams, constituted by the UN country head, would submit their report within a week.
“Both the teams have completed their task after visiting all the affected areas,” a senior UN official told Dawn on Friday. After compiling reports the world body would approach donors to seek assistance for the affected people of Balochistan, he added.
Some of the team members observed during their visit to different areas that the people were still waiting for relief goods as government teams and NGOs engaged in the relief operation had not reached them so far. “Flash foods have washed away everything in Kharan,” a member of UN team said.
They also observed that in Kharan the recently constructed bypass played vital role in flooding the township as flash floods after hitting the bypass turned towards Kharan town causing losses of property and human lives.
“Flash floods could not find way towards its natural course,” another member told Dawn, adding that another cause of destruction was building of houses in the way of seasonal nullahs and catchments of rivers.
The same situation was created in Nushki and Turbat. In Nushki, a large area came under heavy flood when a dam was broken in Kashingi area that caused huge losses to the public and private property.
Another member of the assessment team said that he observed that human losses had occurred in those areas where houses were constructed in Nullahs and in the natural course of floodwater.
“Over 60 people were swept away in flash flood in Nal area of Khuzdar district along with their houses and all these houses were constructed in a seasonal Nullah,” he said.
The UN team members further observed that the homeless people badly needed tents as in majority areas they had been living under open sky.
Meanwhile, country representative of the World Health Organisation Dr. Khalif Bile Mohammad held separate meetings with Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Secretary K. B. Rind.
He briefed them about the efforts his organisation was making in the flood-hit areas of the province and said the WHO was also taking steps for providing medicines to prevent epidemic diseases.
