ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Wednesday to complete advance preparations for an emergency fund to respond to monsoon-related disasters, his office said in a statement, after heavy storms killed three people and injured 16 others in the last 24 hours in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
Pakistan remains highly vulnerable to extreme weather, which scientists attribute to climate change effects. Catastrophic monsoon floods in 2022 killed more than 1,700 people, affected 33 million and caused economic losses exceeding $30 billion, making it one of the country’s worst climate disasters. Last year’s monsoon season also triggered widespread flooding that killed more than 1,000 people and damaged homes, infrastructure and farmland across several provinces.
Sharif chaired a meeting on monsoon preparedness after storms killed two children and injured three others in the Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Sharif said that an Emergency Response Committee, headed by the planning and development minister and comprising the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other federal ministries, be established to work in coordination with provincial authorities.
“He directed the finance minister, as part of the Emergency Response Committee, to complete advance preparations for establishing an emergency fund in case of damage caused by the monsoon season,” the PMO said.
The committee will hold weekly meetings and coordinate closely with provincial institutions, Sharif’s office added.
The PMO said the government has allocated Rs330 billion ($1.19 billion) in the current budget for the early completion of water infrastructure projects to strengthen national water security and safety.
Sharif also directed authorities to promptly remove illegal encroachments and address other issues in river channels and potential flood pathways in vulnerable districts.
NDMA officials informed participants of the meeting that Pakistan was expected to face intense heatwaves and above-normal rainfall in July, adding that necessary arrangements were being made under the preparedness strategy.
STORMS KILL 3 IN KP
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), heavy rains, lightning strikes, strong winds and heavy rainfall across various districts of KP killed three people and injured 16 in the last 24 hours.
The deceased include two children and one woman, while the injured include five men and 11 children,” the PDMA report said.
It said the casualties and injuries were reported in the province’s Khyber, Lower Dir, Mardan, Shangla, Bajaur and Lower Chitral districts.
“The PDMA has directed the administrations of the affected districts to ensure the prompt distribution of relief supplies to those affected,” the report said.
