May, 1999

Cyclone 2A has killed over 200 people in Pakistan and 6,000 more are missing.  The cyclone and the massive rain and thunderstorms that followed hit the coastal area, causing widespread damage.

The southeastern Sindh province of Pakistan was hit by the cyclone.  Over 600 villages were demolished, most of them inhabited by poor peasants and fishermen.

A Map of Pakistan.  Image Credit: CIA.

A total of at least 50,000 homes were destroyed by the cyclone, and over 152,000 acres of cropland were lost.

The Pakistani government has said that it is incapable of helping all those affected by the cyclone.  Already villagers are angry at the government for not warning them about the storm.  If warned, the people could have taken safety measures and far fewer people would likely have died.

Some attempts were made at bringing out the armed forces, including the navy, to help the people.  Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif visited the area to try to determine what needs to be done.

About 5,000 fisherman from the town of Shah Bunder had gone off to fish in the Arabian Sea when the storm hit.  Many of them, who had no idea that the storm was coming, were killed.

Thousands of animals such as cows, goats, and sheep were also killed in the flooding.  Combined with the crop destruction, the situation is beginning to threaten a major famine in the region hit by the storm.