Epidemics broke out in flood-affected areas of Pakistan

Epidemic diseases are increasing rapidly in flood-affected areas in Pakistan, especially among children. According to the Sindh Health Department, more than 1.2 million people have been affected by diseases across the province including respiratory issues, asthma, and chest infection, while the cases of gastrointestinal, diarrhea, dengue, and malaria are also increasing continuously.

In Dera Murad Jamali, Naseerabad, and Jafarabad areas of Balochistan, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and skin diseases have started spreading among the flood victims. Children, pregnant women, and elderly people are getting sick due to the lack of medical facilities in flood camps.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif appealed for donations from philanthropists to provide food for children in the flood-affected areas, saying that blankets and diet for children are needed on an emergency basis. In a press release issued by Prime Minister House, the Premier, thanked the Central Asian states, China, and countries from the Muslim world who provided aid to the flood-affected people of Pakistan at the time of the crisis. He said “PKR 70 billion has been allocated from the federation funds and around PKR 30 billion has been spent under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) for flood tragedy. The electricity bills of the victims have been waived. Local administration and the Pakistan Army are working together to provide relief in flood-hit areas”.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 1559 people have died and more than 12 thousand people have been injured due to heavy rains, and floods throughout the country since Jun 14, this year. Record monsoon rains in the south and southwest of Pakistan and melting glaciers in the northern areas caused the worst floods, affecting an estimated 33 million people in the country. Hundreds of homes, crops, bridges, roads, and livestock were washed away and the damage has been estimated at $30 billion so far.

Many villages have been swept away, and the highest loss of life and property has occurred in Sindh province. In the second place, incalculable destruction happened in Baluchistan province. Millions of people are homeless and now various diseases have surrounded these disaster victims. There is a severe shortage of clean water and food in said areas and a human tragedy has fenced Pakistan. This natural calamity has upset the balance of the local economy, which had started to be built after great difficulty.

Epidemic diseases are also increasing in the flood-affected areas of Punjab province, including respiratory diseases, fever, cholera, eye issues, and skin diseases. According to the report, more than 54 people are suffering from respiratory diseases, and more than 24 thousand people are suffering from cholera in the flood-affected areas of Punjab. Apart from this, more than 25 thousand flood victims have been affected by fever, and more than 3 thousand have been affected by eye diseases.

In Sindh, due to the flood situation, epidemic diseases are endlessly swelling, more than 500 thousand people have been affected by gastro, acute diseases, dengue, malaria, and diarrhea. According to the Sindh Health Department, more than 587,000 people have been affected by various diseases, including children, women, and senior citizens. The data, provided by the health department, more than 119 thousand people were reported to have various respiratory, asthma, and chest infections. So far 125 thousand people have been reported with various skin rashes diseases.

In a short conversation with EAT News, the minister of state for finance Ms. Ayesha Ghos Pasha said that the economic loss due to floods in Pakistan may be more than $ 30 billion. “the damage caused by the flood is not yet clear.  The World Bank (WB), the United Nations, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are jointly assessing the damage caused by the floods, only then they will be able to tell what will be needed for recovery, and development”, Ms. Ayesha Ghos Pasha added.

On the other hand, flood victims are protesting against the district administration in different areas of the country. In a few cities, demonstrators have blocked the road and suspended traffic. The victims said that floods and rains have caused destruction everywhere, crops including houses have been destroyed, and women and children have taken shelter on the streets but no aid is being received. Women and children also participated in the demonstrations and demanded immediate relief.

Last week, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, during his address, he said “no catastrophic event has ever caused as much destruction as the recent floods have done in Pakistan. The international community has to come forward and help the climate change-affected Pakistan, what we are facing today in Pakistan, anyone could face anywhere in the world tomorrow”.

UN special envoy and famous Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday, September 20, she will remain in Pakistan for two more days. Angelina Jolie will visit flood-hit areas to review relief activities. On the first day of the visit, Angelina Jolie made an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Sindh and also visited the affected areas by boat. Angelina Jolie has previously visited Pakistan to meet the victims of the 2010 floods and the 2005 earthquake.