disasters
Jolie in Pakistan: “I’ve never seen anything like it”
US actress Angelina Jolie (2nd from left) attends a meeting with Pakistani government and military officials on the damage caused by the floods in Pakistan. photo
© Uncredited/National Flood Response Coordination Ce/APntre/dpa
A violent flood catastrophe shook the country. A third of Pakistan is already under water, more than 30 million people are affected. US actress Jolie is shocked.
Angelina Jolie is dismayed by the extent of the disaster after a trip to visit the victims of the floods in Pakistan. “The devastation in Sindh is shocking,” the actress said after visiting one of the country’s hardest hit areas. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my whole life.” Families slept under the stars and would have lost everything.
Pakistan has been hit by unusually heavy rainfall since mid-June. A third of the South Asian country is under water. A total of 33 million people are affected by the flood disaster. The water destroyed houses, roads, bridges and agricultural land. According to official figures, almost 1,600 people have lost their lives so far. Millions of people also had to be treated for infectious diseases that spread in the water – such as malaria, cholera or diarrhea.
“A catastrophe in the form of an epidemic is waiting for us,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned in an interview. With urgent words he asked the world community for support. “All hell will break loose” in Pakistan if the country soon no longer receives support to deal with the flood disaster, according to the prime minister.
Experts blame climate change for the increase in natural disasters in the country. Pakistan is among the countries most affected by climate change, even if it has hardly contributed to it. Angelina Jolie calls on the world community to take urgent action in view of her visit: “It is time for the world to take notice of this crisis and take action on climate change,” said the actress. “We can no longer ignore the consequences.”