Yarkhun faces humanitarian crisis; communication disrupted across Chitral

[Picture of damaged house by Musa Syeed]

YARKHUN: A humanitarian crisis is brewing in the remote Yarkhun valley of Upper Chitral with the already poor road and Telenor communication services collapsing in the wake of the incessant rains and floods.

Damage to optical fibre cables and power outages have also disrupted internet and telephone services of the PTCL in Chitral.

Local people told ChitralToday that the unprecedented rains had left hundreds of families homeless as their houses either collapsed are have become not worthy of living in. 

KP chief minister announces district focal persons for relief activities but ignores both Lower and Upper Chitral.  

The only road to the Yarkhun valley has been closed at different points for the last two weeks due to which supply of essential commodities is suspended to the area. 

In upper parts of the valley, crops and apples are completely damaged causing losses to the farmers. 

The only mobile service in the area, Telenor is down and people are unable to get in touch with each other or with their relatives living outside. 

Due to the unavailability of electricity after damages to small powerhouses, flour mills are closed and people are facing shortage of the basic commodity of flour.

Moreover, the residents are also without clean drinking water as water channels and supply lines have been washed away by floods. 

As a result, there are also reports of the outbreak of different diseases. The situation is becoming worse as there is not even a single dispensary in the whole valley from Istach to Broghil.

To rub salt into the wound, so far no government department has come to the help of the affected people of Yarkhun or assess the situation.

The magnitude of the suffering of the people of upper Yarkhun even cannot be realized as the area has been totally cut off for weeks.

Meanwhile, the Chitral river continued flooding and causing more damages to properties. The river flow is still blocked after the Bindugol flooding and the bridge in front of Shogram is submerged under river water besides threatening areas along the river such as Zait and Shogram.   

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority tweeted that damages to optical fibre cables and power outages have been reported in Chitral, Upper Dir, Donbala, Swat, Medan, Lal Qila Simarbaghdir, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, impacting connectivity services.

“PTA is monitoring the situation closely. Work is underway to fully restore services,” it added.

Moreover, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, accompanied by PTI leader Murad Saeed, visited flood-hit areas of Swat and Lower Dir to assess the damage caused by the floods and overview the relief efforts underway.

Talking to media persons in Mingora, he announced Rs1 billion for flood victims across the province. “Another Rs5 billion will be approved soon too.”

He said that the government has commenced a helicopter service for Swat to assist with rescue operations. “We are trying to provide every possible assistance to every person affected.”

Sources told ChitralToday that the chief minister was also expected to visit Chitral to assess the situation within a few days.

Deaths in Swat, tourists stranded in Lower Dir

A day after a rain emergency was declared in Swat, the district’s additional deputy commissioner, Abrar Wazir, said on Saturday that landslides and floods had claimed a total of 24 lives in different areas.

On Friday, 12 deaths in the district were linked to rains, floods and related incidents.

The additional deputy commissioner said in a statement today that 28 people were also injured by the flash floods in different parts of the district, adding that the floods washed away 233 houses, 41 schools, over 50 hotels and 24 bridges according to the data collected so far.

Wazir said the floods washed about 130 kilometres of roads in Swat. He said the district’s irrigation department measured 121,326 cusecs of water in the evening while restoration and rehabilitation activities were also launched by the district administration.

He added that post-flood vaccination and deworming in various areas of the district were also launched as vaccination teams of the livestock department reached the affected areas to treat animals.

The official said a team had been constituted to estimate the extent of further damage.