ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called for “seamless coordination” among federal and provincial disaster response agencies as the cumulative death toll from this year’s monsoon rains rose to 81, with authorities seeking to strengthen preparedness and response as heavy rainfall continues across parts of the country.
The call came during the fourth meeting of the federal Emergency Response Committee, which reviewed relief supplies, evacuation planning, emergency communication mechanisms and inter-agency coordination.
“There is a need for seamless coordination among all response agencies to facilitate timely decision-making and rapid mobilization of resources whenever required,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said while chairing the meeting, according to an official statement.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), monsoon-related incidents since June 26 have killed 81 people and injured 241 across Pakistan, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounting for the highest number of fatalities at 47, followed by Punjab with 21, Azad Jammu and Kashmir with seven and Balochistan with six.
More than half of the deaths resulted from house collapses, highlighting the vulnerability of homes to torrential rainfall, while flash floods accounted for about one-fifth of the fatalities, according to NDMA data.
The monsoon has also damaged 387 houses, destroyed one bridge, damaged 6.72 kilometers (4.2 miles) of roads and killed 207 livestock.
The Emergency Response Committee reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national coordination and ensuring a unified response to safeguard lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure during the monsoon season, the statement said.
