Fodder dries up for Pakistan’s cattle as floodwaters stay high

Flood-affected children play near a makeshift camp in Hyderabad, Sindh province Monday. Pic/AFP

Farmers stranded by unprecedented floods that have submerged huge swathes of Pakistan are running low on feed for their cattle, officials said on Tuesday, as airdropping supplies proved a difficult task. The floods caused by record monsoon rains and glacial melt in northern mountains have affected 33 million people and killed almost 1,400, in damage estimated at $30 billion.

In the southern province of Sindh, one of the worst affected areas, farmers in several villages have braved rising waters to stay on and try to keep alive their remaining cattle. "A shortage of fodder for cattle has emerged," said Syed Murtaza Ali Shah, top government official in the provincial district of Dadu, adding that army and navy helicopters were trying to reach the farmers.

Airdropping supplies would be difficult, however, said a military official, who sought anonymity as he was not allowed to talk to the media. "It is a serious issue," the army official said. "Airdrops would not work, but it is important that fodder be supplied to livestock."

The situation is set to worsen as weather officials have warned of more rain in the next few days, posing a fresh threat to thousands of displaced people living in tents or in the open alongside highways. Officials estimate about 7,00,000 cattle have been lost in the floods nationwide, and the rest, which form a critical asset in a poor country, are growing thin for lack of food.

Also Read: Pak races to keep floodwater out of power station in Sindh

Journalist arrested

Pakistan police arrested a journalist, Nasrallah Gaddani, for allegedly reporting on the plight of Pakistani Hindus trapped in the ongoing floods in Sindh province. These affected people later claimed that they were deprived of basic resources to survive the calamity, local media reported. The journalist reported that the local administration had expelled the people of the Bhagri community from the flood relief camp for being Hindus, media reports said.

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