Residents in Baluchistan say dozens of people have died. Most of the victims are the very young and the very old, they say. An official death toll is difficult to get because of the remoteness of the area and the Muslim custom of burying the dead within 24 hours. According to one government estimate, nearly 10 million head of livestock have died in the drought this year. The arid countryside is littered with the carcasses of dead animals.
Officials say most of the livestock that has survived is diseased.
Thousands of people fled their villages due to the severe drought in Pakistan. In the camps both near Shinger and Basima, people complain that the government is doing little to help them. In neighboring Afghanistan, entire herds belonging to nomads have been wiped out, virtually bankrupting them. In India, a massive government effort using ships and trains brought drinking water and food to drought-hit areas in 11 states. Forecasters in India are expecting the monsoon rains to arrive on time in June to bring relief.