An aid volunteer in Pakistan has said that millions of people in the country are still homeless and in need of shelter months after severe floods.
Recall that earlier this year, up to 33 million people were hit by severe damage during the monsoon season.
According to a UN assessment, almost eight million people are still at risk of flooding or reside in flood-prone locations. Imran Hameed, creator of Bearded Broz, in Smethwick, said more help was needed from around the world otherwise “it’s only going to get worse”.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is said to have requested “immediate assistance” from the international community.
“Even today, 20 million victims of the floods need urgent humanitarian assistance,” he said at a recent televised broadcast.
Read also: Pakistan to spend $3 billion on flood recovery by the end of June
Manchester-based charity Human Appeal said floodwaters were still impacting nearly one in 15 people in Pakistan.
Also reacting, Numaan Shahid, the special projects coordinator at Human Appeal, which has a local community hub in Birmingham, said that those affected were also facing water-borne diseases.
“Cholera is the biggest water-borne disease there right now, with malaria second,” he said “There is a long-term need for shelter, food packages and medical supplies to give them normality so they can all get back to a normal life.
Mr Shahid further said that there was a need for “flood-resistant homes” as temporary shelter would not be heat-protected in the winter months.
“It’s still a country that doesn’t have a system where water can go,” he admitted.
This story was adapted from BBC.