The Queen has said she is “deeply saddened” by the widespread flooding in Pakistan, which has killed more than 1,000 people and damaged nearly one million homes.
Her message comes as experts warned the floods, which have ravaged the country since mid-June, may not have reached their peak yet.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of life and destruction caused by the floods across Pakistan,” Her Majesty said in a message to President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi.
“My thoughts are with all those who have been affected, as well as those working in difficult circumstances to support the recovery efforts.
“The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Pakistan as you recover from these terrible events.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson also issued a message of support, saying: “It’s heartbreaking to see the continuing devastation wrought by the floods in Pakistan.
“My thoughts go to the victims and those helping with an heroic relief effort.”
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have donated funds to the international aid charity Islamic Relief, which is supporting those affected by the flooding.
“Our hearts go out to all the victims and their loved ones and to the millions of people who have lost property and their livelihoods,” they said in a statement.
“Times like these remind us of the fragility of our planet and the urgent need for humanity to live in harmony with nature. Our prayers are with all our friends in Pakistan.”
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Areas in Pakistan affected by flooding
All four of the country’s provinces have been hit by the unusually heavy rains, with more than 30 million people affected.
Flash floods have swept away villages, crops, and 800,000 livestock, as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to relief camps and proed food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis.
Nearly 300,000 homes have been destroyed, numerous roads are impassable, and there have been widespread electricity outages.
The number of dead reached at least 1,061 people after new fatalities were reported in several different provinces.
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Nail-biting flood rescue at raging river
Peter Ophoff, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Sky News: “The monsoon season should have stopped by the end of July. We are now in the end of August, and we still have very heavy rain. Many people are thinking that we haven’t reached a peak yet.”
Flooding from the Swat River hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where tens of thousands of people – particularly in the Charsadda and Nowshehra districts – have been evacuated from their homes to camps in government buildings.
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Pakistan minister on ‘apocalyptic’ floods
Some 180,000 people have been evacuated from villages in Charsadda and 150,000 in Nowshehra.
International aid started reaching the country on Monday, while the military and volunteers continued the evacuation operation.
Cargo planes from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates began the international rush to assist the impoverished nation, landing in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, with tents, food and other daily necessities.
Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s top climate official, said in a on Twitter that her country was experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade”.
She said: “We are at the moment at the ground zero of the frontline of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events, and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country.”
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Pic: AP
Peter Ophoff also told Sky News: “The situation in Pakistan is dire. We are experiencing the worst floods in decades.
“The biggest problem is access. We have around 3,000km (1,860 miles) of roads that have been destroyed, 160 bridges have been washed away.”
Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan needs financial help to deal with “overwhelming” floods and many crops that proed livelihoods to a large proportion of the population had been wiped out.
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Pic: AP
The International Monetary Fund board will decide this week whether to release $1.2bn (£1bn) as part of the seventh and eighth tranches of Pakistan’s bailout programme, which it entered in 2019.
He said: “Going forward, I would expect not only the IMF, but the international community and international agencies to truly grasp the level of devastation.”
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Pakistan PM helps drop aid after floods
Pakistan’s government has sent soldiers to help civilian authorities in rescue and relief operations.
Military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has visited flood-affected areas of southern Sindh province to push through relief work.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani army said it airlifted 22 tourists who were trapped in a valley in the country’s north to safety.
