MM News

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said more than 6.4 million people in Pakistan are in dire need of humanitarian aid as the devastating floods continue to wreak havoc in the country.

As the floods continue to wreak havoc in the country, Pakistan’s government has declared the floods a national emergency, with 66 districts declared to be a “calamity hit.” Over 1,100 people, including over 350 children, have lost their lives. More than 1,600 people have been injured and over 2,87,000 houses have been fully destroyed.

Besides this, over 7,35,000 livestock have perished and 2 million acres of crops have been adversely impacted.

“The heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan which started in mid-July 2022 are continuing in many parts of the country and have affected 116 districts (75 per cent) out of 154 districts in Pakistan. The most affected province is Sindh, followed by Balochistan,” the WHO said in a report.

The WHO in its report said that at least 888 health facilities were damaged in rain-induced floods that have affected 116 out of 154 districts across the country.

“As of August 28, 888 health facilities have been damaged in Pakistan of which 180 of them are completely damaged,” it stated. The health body stated that Pakistan was already battling multiple outbreaks, including Covid, and added that the “current situation will highly likely increase the spread of disease especially if/when response capacities are hindered”.

“Ongoing disease outbreaks in Pakistan, including acute watery diarrhoea, dengue fever, malaria, polio, and Covid-19 are being further aggravated, particularly in camps and [areas] where water and sanitation facilities have been damaged,” the report stated.

“WHO has also diverted mobile medical camps, including those responding to Covid-19 teams, to affected districts, delivered 1.7 million aqua tabs to ensure access to clean water, and provided sample collection kits to ensure clinical testing of samples to ensure early detection of infectious diseases,” the report stated.