KARACHI, July 11: Describing the post-cyclone situation in Kharan district as horrible, a former minister of Balochistan has urged the donor countries to come forward to rescue the affected people.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, Mir Abdul Karim Nosherwani said that the cyclone had rendered 25,000 people homeless as nearly 80 per cent of the district had been badly ravaged and most of the people were still awaiting relief supplies under the open sky.

According to Mr Nosherwani, as many as 200 water supply schemes were washed away and flooding had also completely destroyed tubewells, electricity poles, hospitals, schools and government offices. Besides that, he said, wheat, onion and cotton crops had also been devastated.

He said there was an acute shortage of food, drinking water and medicines in the district, and warned that if early and effective relief measures were not taken, Kharan would face famine-like conditions.

He called upon the international organisations, NGOs and philanthropists to come forward to help the people of Balochistan at this critical hour, just as they had provided assistance to the people of Kashmir.