French, Canadian leaders offer help to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28 (NNI): Expressing their solidarity the flood victims in Pakistan, France and Canada have offered their help to Pakistan.
French President Emmanuel Macron while expressing solidarity with the flood victims of Pakistan has said that his country was ready to provide help.
French President Emmanuel Macron has offered aid to help people devastated by floods in Pakistan.
In a tweet, President Macron said “Our thoughts go out to the Pakistani people facing terrible floods, to the families of the countless people missing and to the populations affected. France stands ready to provide help.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also wrote about the help his government was offering to the flood-affected people of Pakistan.
In a tweet uploaded on Sunday, the Canadian prime minister said “Like many Canadians across the country, I’m thinking of everyone affected by the devastating flooding in Pakistan. Canada is providing support through @UNCERF and @redcrosscanada – to provide food, clean water, and other essential services as quickly as possible.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and many other countries have contributed to a monsoon disaster appeal but much more funds are needed.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) released details of the damage. According to the report, the total number of deaths has exceeded 1000, so far 348 children have lost their lives in the flood disasters. More than 1500 people were injured, 800,000 cattle were killed and 1000,000 houses were damaged.
Streams and bridges were swept away, 3,451 kilometers of roads and 149 bridges were damaged. In total, around 6 million people were affected, 500,000 people are staying in various relief camps.
In Sindh and Punjab provinces sugarcane and cotton crops have been destroyed completely while onion, tomato, and Kharif chilies have been partially damaged. The loss of cotton crops alone has been estimated at $2.6 billion. Experts believe Pakistan’s textile and sugar export could drop by $1 billion.
At least 2 million tonnes of wheat stored at the government’s warehouses in Sindh have been spoiled due to rains and floods, threatening the country’s food security.
The destruction in the agriculture sector means that Pakistan will not only encounter a supply shortage for industries but there could also be a seed crisis in the country.
Officials have estimated that over 800,000 cattle heads have been lost to rains and floods this season. NNI