NORMAN — Although the worst flooding in its history has decimated much of Pakistan’s farming region, the disaster to come may be just as big a blow. Officials warned the food crisis could expand into a long-term shortage impacting generations of Pakistanis.
Farmers need to get their fall wheat crop in the ground. Much of the stored grain was destroyed and a new crop is of great importance. Farmers can’t even get back into many of their fields to assess damage. As much as a quarter of the current crop has been destroyed.
An already food insecure nation will become much more insecure, leaving them even more vulnerable. The Associated Press reports the transportation and logistics systems that make it possible to get food to market have also been destroyed.
U.N. workers said it could be six to eight weeks before the soil is fit for planting. About 17 million people have been displaced by the floodwaters. About 1,600 have been killed.
The floods began with the onset of monsoon rains in the mountains and moved into the rich agricultural lands. More than a million homes were destroyed. Pakistanis say eight million people are in need of emergency assistance.
The U.S. has sent helicopters and aircraft to aid in the relief but much of the country remains unreachable.
