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Nearly 800 people have died in a heat wave in southern Pakistan's financial capital of Karachi, prompting Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to declare a state of emergency.
The heat wave has brought attention to the country's public service woes after Karachi, home to 20 million, was under-equipped to provide adequate health services to those seeking attention amid temperatures reaching up to 44 degrees Celsius with high humidity.
The largest public hospital in the city reported being at capacity with hundreds suffering heat exhaustion, dehydration, and other heat-related sicknesses. Elderly and poor people have been the most vulnerable in the heat wave and have made up the majority of the victims.
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Pakistan prone to political instability due to climate change: report http://t.co/QTbsH6Xkx6 pic.twitter.com/y3of0jSGJi
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com)
June 24, 2015
The heat wave comes as the province experiences repeated electrical outages and the country's Muslim majority fasts during daylight hours to observe Ramadan, exacerbating the intensity of the blistering heat.
Rain and sea breeze brought a cooling breath of relief Wednesday, marking the approach of monsoon season and likely the end of the scorching heat.
RELATED: India Heat Wave: The Weather of Tomorrow, Today
Heat-related deaths have prompted a political blame-game as government opposition hold authorities responsible for poor health infrastructure and major power blackouts seen as worsening the crisis.
The military has also criticized the government and garnered praise for its ranks by setting up emergency aid stations providing water and other heat-relief supplies. The well-funded Pakistani military, which has ruled the country for much of its history, often spearheads disaster response efforts.
During the past month over 2,100 people in India & Pakistan have died, the cause of these deaths, heat. pic.twitter.com/jZ643sTxI5
— Jo Knapp (@jokpro13)
June 22, 2015
In neighboring India, a heat wave authorities have attributed to climate change, claimed some 2,200 lives between April and May. Last week, the start of monsoon season brought heavier than average rain and major floods to the business capital of Mumbai.
RELATED: Mumbai Flooding: Climate Change Brings Extreme Weather to India
Studies show extreme weather events, including heat waves, can be expected to increase in frequency and intensity with climate change. An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released last year said heat waves are likely to occur more often and last longer.
Pakistan, like neighboring India, are considered among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
