After playing havoc with the lives of millions of people in Pakistan destroying their houses, property, cattle, herds, standing crops, means of communication, governmental infrastructure and robbing them of all their resources that could sustain their lives, floods now are threatening elimination of 5,000-year-old Moenjodaro, UNESCOs World heritage site in province Sindh, the News International reported on August 16, 2010.

According to Mr. Karim Lashari, chief of the provincial antiquities department "There is danger to the 5,000-year-old Moenjodaro and Aamri archeological sites."

After three weeks of ravaging monsoon rains, Pakistan is facing its worst floods for 80 years. Floods have displaced nearly 20 million people and left them dependant on humanitarian aid to survive. In certain cases entire villages have been eliminated.

Moenjodaro Provides Evidence of Early System of Town Planning

UNESCO's internet site offers the following information on Moenjodaro:

The ruins of the huge city of Moenjodaro built entirely of unbaked brick in the 3rd millennium B.C. lie in the Indus valley. The acropolis, set on high embankments, the ramparts, and the lower town, which is laid out according to strict rules, provide evidence of an early system of town planning.

Another ancient archaeological site under threat is Aamri, in the Dadu district of Sindh. It has been declared a Pakistani national heritage site.

Ban Ki-moon Visits Scenes of Devastation

International and Pakistani media have reported that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on August15, 2010 visited scenes of the devastation and urged the world to speed up relief efforts. The United Nations has launched an aid appeal for 460 million dollars for immediate relief efforts. I'm here to see what is going on? I'm here also to urge the world community to speed up their assistance to the Pakistani people, the Secretary-General told reporters on arrival.

Speaking at a news conference after touring the affected areas, Mr. Ban said, I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have visited the scenes of many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this

The scale of this disaster is so large so many people, in so many places, in so much need, Geo Television, the most popular Urdu TV station in Pakistan, reported him saying on August 15, 2010.

The crisis is so huge that Pakistan government seems to have been inundated by the challenge and has not yet come up with any coordinated response to the disaster.

Myra MacDonald of Reuters has analysed that response of the world community is sluggish but it is not due to any ifs or buts instead the question is How.

According to Myra Pakistans Higher Commissioner to London on August 16, 2010 said, the cost of rebuilding Pakistan after its devastating floods could exceed $10 to $15 billion. The Commissioner said this was a rough estimate because an assessment of the extent of the damage caused by the floods had yet to be carried out.

UN Estimates 3.5 Million Children are at Risk

The United Nations warned on August 16, 2010 that up to 3.5 million children were at risk from water-borne diseases including diarrhoea-related, such as watery diarrhoea and dysentery, in Pakistan's flood affected areas. It was bracing for thousands of potential cholera cases.

WHO spokesman said, "We fear we're getting close to the start of seeing a second wave of death if not enough money comes through, due to water-borne diseases along with lack of clean water and food shortages."

Information

After playing havoc with the lives of millions of people in Pakistan floods now are threatening elimination of 5,000-year-old Moenjodaro.

This is a news story that first appeared in the Suite101 on Aug 17, 2010