In view of the ongoing floods triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains that have caused widespread havoc across Pakistan in the recent past, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and said that he was 'saddened' to see the devastation in the neighbouring country and "hoped for an early restoration of normalcy".
"Saddened to see the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the injured and all those affected by this natural calamity and hope for an early restoration of normalcy," Modi had tweeted on Monday.
Responding to PM Modi for his concern, his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday thanked Narendra Modi over the human and material losses in the neighbouring country.
“I thank Indian PM Narendra Modi @narendramodi for condolences over the human & material losses caused by floods. With their characteristic resilience the people of Pakistan shall, InshaAllah, overcome the adverse effects of this natural calamity & rebuild their lives and communities,” Sharif said in a tweet.
Pakistan Floods - All You Need To Know
So far over 1,100 people have lost their lives and over 33 million have been displaced due to the floods in Pakistan.
Health experts have claimed that around five million people in flood-hit Pakistan, including children, may fall sick due to the outbreak of water-borne and vector-borne diseases such as typhoid and diarrhea in the next four to 12 weeks.
With areas like Sindh, Balochistan, southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhw badly hit by devastating floods, health officials in the country have warned that people in the these flooded regions are likely to get diarrhea, cholera, gastroenteritis, typhoid and vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria.
According to reports, the Sharif-led government in Pakistan will take a decision to import food items from India after consulting its coalition partners and key stakeholders. The neighbouring nation is currently facing a shortage of vegetables and other food items after devastating floods destroyed crops, increasing their prices to unimaginable levels, The News reported.
Even the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) urged the government to permit vegetable import from India through the Wagah border. LCCI President said that vegetable crisis could further worsen in September, October and November in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the cash-strapped Pakistan government has now teamed up with the United Nations to issue a flash appeal for USD 160 million to deal with the disaster. Even the UN chief Antonio Guterres is scheduled to visit flood-hit Pakistan next week to see how the UN is working to support the government’s efforts to provide assistance to millions of people impacted by the disaster.