Pakistan's biggest floods in 80 years threaten to inflict widespread suffering in Sindh province after the unpopular government was accused of letting down millions of people ravaged in the disaster in other parts of the country.
The floods brought on by monsoon rains have devastated more than three million people, killed more than 1,500 and reinforced the view that civilian governments, perceived as corrupt and weak, are unable to handle major crises, leaving the army to step in.
Raging waters have spread from the northwest to the Punjab agricultural heartland and down to the southern province of Sindh, as Pakistanis watched villages collapse, thousands of people drown, and their president leave for a five-day state visit to Europe at the height of the disaster.
Officials in Sindh, home to Pakistan's biggest city and commercial hub Karachi, are scrambling to prevent heavy loss of life and more destruction to the mainstay agriculture industry. Rural areas are expected to be hit hardest.
About 350,000 people have been forced to move from low-lying areas of the Indus river basin in Sindh so far.
President Asif Ali Zardari, already squeezed by a Taliban insurgency, chronic power cuts and many other critical issues, is on the political defensive once again after his decision to travel abroad during the catastrophe drew fierce criticism.
Damage in Punjab may indicate what kind of troubles could be in store for Sindh. It's too early to gauge the economic costs of the floods but they are likely to be staggering. Pakistan depends heavily on foreign aid.
The Punjab Relief and Crisis Management Department said more than 1,300 villages were affected and more than 25,000 houses destroyed. Sixteen people had been killed in the province.
"It is very possible as the disaster progresses to the south, that it may become worse," said Maurizio Giuliano, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
"There is a risk that a dam will break. Of course we hope it won't happen, but as a humanitarian (organisation) we are getting ready to cater for any type of scenario, including a disaster."
Authorities in Sindh said they were prepared despite treacherous conditions.
Many Pakistanis complained that state authorities failed to warn them that raging waters were headed their way.
The United States wants Mr Zardari's government to bring political and economic stability to Pakistan, an ally and regional power it believes can help ease a Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, where an American troop pullout starts next summer.
After $10 million in initial aid, the United States yesterday pledged a major effort to help millions hit by the epic floods in Pakistan, while also hoping to boost Washington's image there, where anti-American sentiment runs high.
Reuters
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