In a last-ditch effort to avert a disaster, officials breached Lake Manchar on Sunday, a move they acknowledged could displace up to 100,000 people from their homes but would also save densely populated areas from flooding. On Monday, however, provincial irrigation minister Jam Khan Shoro said the effort had not worked. “The water level in Lake Manchar has not gone down,” he said of the freshwater reservoir in southern Sindh province. The prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, traveled to Sindh on Monday to assess the damage and toured the area with his foreign minister in a helicopter. The region produces half of the country’s food, but 90% of its crops have been destroyed, while entire villages have been swept away. Map showing Lake Manchar Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers have caused floods that have affected 33 million people and killed at least 1,314, including 458 children, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency said in a briefing on Monday. Satellite images showed that a third of the country is now under water. More than 1.6 million homes have been damaged since mid-June. The UN refugee agency flew in the most desperately needed aid on Monday, with two UNHCR planes landing in the southern port of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province. Two more were expected later in the day. A third plane, aided by Turkmenistan, also landed in Karachi. “The floods have left children and families in the countryside without access to basic necessities,” said Abdullah Fadil, Pakistan representative for the UN children’s agency Unicef. The deluge of water followed record-breaking summer temperatures and rainfall. The Pakistani government and the UN have blamed global warming for the extreme weather events. Sharif said his country was not responsible for the disaster fueled by the climate crisis, which he described as the “difficult moment” in the nation’s history. His government estimates $10bn (£8.7bn) in damage and has called on world powers to help. Last week, the US announced $30 million in humanitarian aid for flood victims in Pakistan, and many other countries have flown in to help. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. But Pakistan’s climate change minister blamed rich polluting countries for the “dystopian” climate collapse. Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan has contributed less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions but suffers more from the effects of climate warming. Rehman told the Guardian that “richer countries need to do more,” including paying reparations to nations facing climate-induced disasters. “Historical injustices must be heard and there must be some level of climate equalization so that the brunt of irresponsible carbon consumption does not fall on nations near the equator.” Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this article
