Monsoon Flooding In Pakistan Leaves More Than 1,000 Dead

Army troops evacuate people from a flood-hit area in Rajanpur, in the district of Punjab, on August 27.

More than 1,000 people have died as a result of monsoon flooding in Pakistan since June, officials said on August 28.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 119 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 1,033.

Officials say this year's monsoon flooding has affected more than 33 million people -- 1-in-7 Pakistanis -- destroying or badly damaging nearly 1 million homes.

The NDMA said more than 2 million acres of cultivated crops have been wiped out, 3,451 kilometers of roads destroyed, and 149 bridges washed away.

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Relentless Rain Threatens Key Infrastructure In Pakistan

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has asked the international community for assistance in coping with the flood damage.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar said on August 27 that the United Nations had agreed to hold a $160 million flash appeal for donations, to be launched on August 30.

The monsoon season began earlier than usual this year and has been particularly fierce, with heavy rains taxing the ability of rescue workers to evacuate marooned people in flood-hit areas.

A state of emergency was declared on August 26.

Based on reporting by AFP