Heavy rain and snow causing havoc

Continuing torrential rain and snowfall for more than a week, has left thousands of people stuck in remote northern areas of Pakistan. They are facing severe food shortages, a lack of fodder for livestock and of fuel. In the north and west of the country, over three dozen deaths have been reported with scores injured in avalanches, flash floods and under collapsing roofs in Balochistan and North West Frontier Province (NWFP). "Due to an early winter snowfall in October last year, the staple crops of maize, rice and fodder were damaged badly and people couldn't stock much for the winter season. Since then, the snowfall is continuing in regular intervals and people are now faced with a famine-like situation in the remote valleys," Miraj Khan, regional manager of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) told IRIN from the mountainous district of Chitral, some 355 km from Peshawar, capital of NWFP. Some 250,000 residents in the remote northern valleys of Chitral have been cut off from the rest of the country for over a week now, according to the AKRSP official. The road network, telephone system and the electricity supply grid have all been disrupted throughout the entire region, according to the NWFP provincial authorities, hampering relief operations in snowbound areas. "Most of the northern valleys are inaccessible at the moment as the snowfall is still going on. At least 22 persons have been confirmed dead in roof collapse incidents in the northern Hazara and Malakand divisions of the province," Asif Iqbal, information minister of NWFP told IRIN from the provincial capital, Peshawar, on Thursday. Hundreds of mud-houses have been reported damaged by flooding in the southern Awaran district of Balochistan province and many people have been left without any shelter in the severe cold and rainy weather. A dam burst near the southern Balochi coastal town of Pasni on Thursday, washing about a dozen truck drivers and other bystanders into the Arabian Sea, a spokesman for the Maritime Security Agency told AP. According to the country's meteorological department, the northern mountain range has received a record snowfall of about 12 - 16 feet, the highest for 16 years. Murree, a resort town on high ground located at about 55 km (35 miles) northeast of the capital, Islamabad, 13.5 feet of snow have fallen. It's the highest snowfall for 26 years, according to meteorologists. "The current spell, expected to continue for another two days, may break a century old record of 14 feet snowfall in the month of February," Muhammad Hanif, meteorologist at the national meteorological department told IRIN. The severe weather in the north has left about 200 families stranded in the Broghail area of Chitral district of the NWFP, around 280 km north of main Chitral town. "The people are in dire need of food, medicines as well as fodder, because the area remained cut off from the rest of the country since October rains and subsequent record snowfall in the area," head of local administration, Shahzada Mohiuddin said. About 100,000 kg of supplies were provided to the local authorities under a directive from President Musharraf two weeks ago after a delegation of representatives from the area seeking assistance reached Chitral town. They had travelled almost all the way on foot looking for aid. However, the supplies are still sitting in Chitral town because no transport aircraft are available. Provincial authorities in the NWFP have been trying to clear snow-blocked roads but the continuing falls have hampered operations. A driver was killed when his snow-clearing bulldozer fell into a deep ditch in the Abbottabad district of NWFP, 100 km from the capital Islamabad on Sunday. The police managed to recover the his body and parts of the bulldozer after three days of strenuous effort. Disaster management experts have accused government authorities of ignoring warnings of floods and landslides issued by the meteorological department. "At the official level, we've not any concept of reducing disaster risk. Whatever relief and crisis management cells are operating at provincial and federal levels, [they] only respond after the calamity has hit the region and news of deaths or huge loss begin to emerge," Mudassir Rizvi, working with a developmental NGO, Pattan Development Organisation told IRIN in the capital, Islamabad. Pakistan is located in a region prone to natural disasters. The geographical location, diversity of terrain and climatic conditions conspire to cause floods, drought and cyclones. In addition, Northern areas, and parts of Balochistan are prone to seismic disturbances causing earthquakes resulting in emergencies. However, the relief activist maintained, the country has no comprehensive policy or law on disaster management as yet and there is no central coordination unit to deal with emergency situations. "Unfortunately, the disaster management is seen only as the provision of relief," Rizvi added. Neither the national nor local media show any concern for the misery of the people, according to Rizvi, preferring to concentrate on political issues maintained. Muhammad Obaidullah Khan, who works with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) agreed that more could be done. "Through pre-emptive steps and proper handling, the damage in several disaster situations can be reduced considerably. We can minimise the loss of life and property but so far the area has been ignored by the government," Khan told IRIN. The bad weather seems set to continue for the next two days at least according to the country's meteorological department which has predicted more severe weather.