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UN: 13 Million People Affected by Floods in Pakistan

HeadlineAug 10, 2010

The United Nations says the number of people suffering from the massive floods in Pakistan has now exceeded 13 million — more than the combined total of people affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined, though the death toll in Pakistan is far lower. The UN says just under 300,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged — almost the same as those destroyed in Haiti. At least 1,600 people have died in Pakistan, and two million have been left homeless. The Islamic Relief charity says the floods have destroyed the entire infrastructure of parts of Pakistan.

Michael O’Brien, International Committee of the Red Cross in Pakistan: “I would say that, early on, the scope of this disaster might have been a little underestimated. It’s really quite catastrophic in its proportions, and it’s going to have a long-term impact. But in terms of the international community, I think they’re probably aware of the problem now. The issue is no country would have coped easily with the extent of the damage that’s been caused here. It’s just enormous.”

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