The Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Sunday called for coordinated efforts to address the impact of floods during a high-level meeting, a statement issued in this regard said.

In August, a fact-finding mission carried out by the United Nations and three relief agencies reported extensive damage and displacement due to the recent floods in Sindh’s Khairpur and Sukkur districts and Balochistan.

Four union councils in the riverine areas of Khairpur district suffered significant damage, resul­ting in the displacement of 33,178 persons, including 11,060 men, 13,700 women and 4,209 children. Currently, 130 families live by the roadside, and 160 with their relatives.

Only one relief camp was established in Sanghar district as of August 25, housing 2,170 internally displaced persons.

According to the press release, Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director of Operations at PDMA Sindh, chaired a high-level meeting with humanitarian stakeholders to address the extensive damage caused by floods in Sindh.

Siddiqui, per the statement, said that the primary focus of the meeting was to “coordinate efforts across affected districts including Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Badin and to address pressing issues in health, education, water, sanitation, and dewatering”.

He emphasized the urgency of addressing the severe impact on Union Councils and highlighted the need to drain stagnant water affecting schools and health facilities.

The meeting was held at PDMA Sindh’s conference hall in Karachi and attended by representatives from UN agencies and various international and domestic non-governmental organizations.

Siddiqui also outlined the current situation based on the initial assessment sent by concerned DCs, reporting that from July 1 to September 5, floods caused 73 fatalities, 153 injuries, the loss of 932 livestock and significant damage to homes and crops, the statement said.

Floods also displaced 141,601 people and led to the establishment of 163 relief camps and 40 medical camps.

Siddiqui added that rain partially damaged 327 houses and destroyed 198 houses.

The meeting was informed that to date, relief efforts have included the vaccination of 6,906,302 animals, the evacuation of 5,085 individuals, and the supply of 229 heavy-duty dewatering pumps to District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs).

Siddiqui added that stocks of relief items in warehouses are plentiful, with tents, tarpaulin sheets, mosquito nets, blankets and hygiene kits distributed across Karachi, Jamshoro and Sukkur.

He drew attention to the current flood situation at the Gudu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages, with Kotri experiencing a medium flood and urged humanitarian partners to explore innovative solutions, such as researching sky-lightening to mitigate future casualties.

Additionally, he reported that 21 breaches in canals and embankments have been repaired, highlighting the severe impact on education and agriculture, with over 230,000 students affected and 325,245 acres of crops damaged in the rains in Sindh.

In response to these challenges, the director called for a collaborative approach with DDMAs and deputy commissioners to address the needs of affected populations in ten priority districts. He also stressed the importance of coordinating with local authorities to ensure effective relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The meeting concluded with a call to action for all partners to address the aftermath of the floods together, focusing on health, education and water and sanitation. Deputy Director of Operations Shayan Shah recommended that work should be carried out by the partners with the consent of DCs in different sectors.

The provincial heads of UN agencies and NGOs discussed health, education and sanitation issues in the deluged areas during the meeting.