HIGHLIGHTS
Heat wave causes more than 1,200 deaths, exacerbates drought conditions in Sindh
The Government of Pakistan (GoP) implements new registration process for international organizations
USAID/OFDA provides more than $11 million in additional funding
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Unusually high temperatures in Pakistan’s Sindh Province in recent weeks have resulted in more than 1,200 deaths, primarily in Karachi city, according to media. The heat wave has also exacerbated drought conditions in southern Sindh.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasts that the 2015 monsoon season will begin in mid-July and produce less-than-average rainfall through September. Anticipated low rainfall levels in Sindh may further aggravate current drought conditions.
As of July 2, more than 39,700 families had voluntarily returned to FATA’s Khyber Agency, NWA, and South Waziristan Agency (SWA) as part of a GoP-facilitated repatriation program that began in March, according to OCHA. Nearly 259,000 families from FATA remain displaced.
In mid-June, the GoP announced plans to require international aid organizations and contractors to register with the GoP Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control (MoI), according to media. Relief agencies remain concerned about the potential effects of the new registration process on humanitarian activities in Pakistan.