Shahbaz Sharif, the prime minister of impoverished Pakistan, appealed to the world on Friday for assistance in repairing the fatal flood devastation there.
His tweet came while Pakistan was still being pummeled by unusually severe rain, which brought the total number of fatalities since mid-June to 937.
Sharif claimed to have discussed flood damage with international ambassadors in the nation’s capital, Islamabad. Over 3 million people were impacted by flooding brought on by rain, melting glaciers, and cloudbursts.
“The ongoing rain spell has caused devastation across the country,” he tweeted, thanking other countries and groups for their support. “Together we will build back better.”
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, floods have destroyed over 150 bridges, washed away about 150 miles of roads, and damaged 170,000 dwellings.
In Sindh province, where rescuers were using boats to remove marooned individuals, the situation worsened despite the fact that floodwaters had retreated in certain parts. Tents and temporary dwellings were the homes of thousands of flood victims.
The turmoil compelled Sharif’s administration to issue the proclamation. According to a statement released by the UN on Thursday, $3 million has been set aside for U.N. relief organizations and its partners in Pakistan to deal with the floods.
Around Pakistan, the monsoon season normally starts in July. However, this year, the nation began to experience significant rains in June, which led to flooding.
“This will be used for health, nutrition, food security, and water and sanitation services in flood-affected areas, focusing on the most vulnerable,” it said.
Around Pakistan, the monsoon season normally starts in July. However, this year, the nation began to experience significant rains in June, which led to flooding.
According to scientists, a key contributing cause to the exceptionally severe weather that has made life miserable for millions of people is climate change.
The actual difficulty right now, according to climate change minister Sherry Rehman, was saving lives and setting up tents and food for the homeless.
“This is a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions, thousands are without shelter, many are without food and people are stranded,”
Rehman said. “We need to ask not just the provinces and Islamabad, it is beyond the capacity of any one administration or government to rehabilitate and even manage the rescue and relief.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
