Pakistan Monsoon Flooding Continues with Little Relief in Sight

United States assistance to the flood stricken nation of Pakistan continues without let up. The addition of eighteen helicopters from the Army's 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, will nearly double the rotary wing aircraft committed to the rescue and relief mission. Air Force and Marine C-130 cargo aircraft continue the delivery of supplies to Pakistan and the redistribution of those supplies within the country.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, through August 31, U.S. military aircraft have evacuated over 10,000 Pakistanis from the flood zone and delivered 2.9 million pounds of relief supplies. $200 million dollars has been allocated to the relief and recovery efforts by the United States government.

The arriving Army helicopters will take over the mission at Ghazi Airbase from the Navy and Marine Corps helicopters currently operating there. Those helicopters will relocate south to assist with the flooding problems along the lower Indus River.

The latest United Nations statement reports that flooding continues in Sindh Province, at the lower end of the Indus River valley. New areas continue to be flooded as the waters from the north pour into the lowlands and Indus River delta. Much of this flooding is dues to a levee break in early August.

Standing water in the Punjab is not draining very fast. Internal refugees from the flooding have moved from Sindh into Balochistan. With heavy damage to the road network higher in the hills and mountains, many parts of both the northeast and northwest remain difficult for relief efforts to reach.

The flooding came as a surprise to Pakistani meteorological authorities. The monsoon season prediction published by the National Weather Forecasting Centre predicted few heavy rainfall events in northern Pakistan. The latest flooding information suggests that the water level is falling slightly at Kotri, in southern Pakistan, but that the flood risk continues.