Cyclone Biparjoy: safe in relief camps, evacuees worried if their homes still stand

Over 1.5 lakh people were evacuated to higher grounds in India and Pakistan combined because of Cyclone Biparjoy.

While in India, coastal Gujarat bore the brunt of the cyclone, in Pakistan it was coastal Sindh.

Pakistan, though, was largely spared the full force of Cyclone Biparjoy which weakened into a severe cyclonic storm on Friday after making landfall in Gujarat.

People evacuated from regions that were identified as vulnerable are safe in relief camps but worried about the situation back home. On both sides of the border, the displaced are concerned if they have a home to go back to.

According to the Gujarat govt, among 1,09,000 persons shifted from coastal areas to temporary shelters, there were 10,918 children, 5,070 senior citizens and 1,152 pregnant women.

According to Pakistan's Sindh govt, as many as 67,367 people were evacuated from the three vulnerable districts — Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin — and 39 relief camps were set up to house them.