Vatican City, Aug 3, 2010 / 23:18 pm
The international Catholic charity Caritas is reporting that relief efforts for flood victims in Pakistan are being hampered by high waters, which are causing “massive” difficulties for aid efforts and making communities accessible only on foot.
Northern Pakistan has been ravaged in recent days by monsoon rains which have caused disastrous flooding in the area. A press release from the charity released on August 3 shows the damage and the death toll to be far more catastrophic than originally estimated. Although Caritas reported last Friday that 300 people were killed, the number has now risen to 1,500 with an estimated 3 million affected by the natural disaster.
In an update provided to CNA, Caritas spokesperson Michelle Hough said that reporting on the incident has been challenging for staff members.
“As you can imagine, the severity and the extent of the flooding makes it very difficult to do assessments,” Hough said in an email. “Staff have been stranded in some instances as roads are blocked and bridges are down.”