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Gastroenteritis, malaria kill 9 more people in Pakistan floods aftermath

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2 years ago

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  • 9 latest deaths in Pakistan flood-borne diseases.
  • Diseases spread killed 318 since July 1.
  • Diarrhoea and malaria “out of control”.

KARACHI: At least nine people died on Monday of infectious and water-borne diseases that have attacked tens of thousands of people in flood-hit Pakistan, government data showed, taking the toll from such causes to 318.

The death toll from the deluge itself has touched 1,559, including 551 children and 318 women, which does not include the disease deaths, the country’s disaster management agency said.

As flood waters start to recede, which officials say may take two to six months in different areas, stagnant waters have led to diseases like malaria, dengue fever, diarrhoea and skin problems, mainly in the southern Sindh province.

The provincial government said in a report issued on Tuesday that nine people died of gastroenteritis, acute diarrhoea and suspected malaria on Monday. It has reported a total of 318 deaths from diseases since July 1.

The report said over 72,000 patients were treated on Monday at makeshift or mobile hospitals set up in flood-hit regions.

Over 2.7 million people have been treated at these facilities since July 1, the report said.

The influx has overwhelmed the country’s already weak health system. The provincial government has said that some 1,200 medical facilities were still marooned.

“We’re overwhelmed,” said Moinuddin Siddique, director at the Abdullah Shah Institute of Health Sciences in Sehwan city, which is surrounded by the flood waters, told Reuters.

Malaria and diarrhoea are out of control, he said.

Record monsoon rains and glacial melt in northern Pakistan triggered the flooding that has impacted nearly 33 million people in the South Asian nation of 220 million, sweeping away homes, crops, bridges, roads and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.

Hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced are living in the open, exposing them to the diseases spread in the stagnant waters. They are in dire need of food, shelter, clean drinking water, toilets and medicines, authorities have said.

UNICEF has termed the situation of the families “beyond bleak”.

It says an estimated 16 million children have been impacted, and at least 3.4 million girls and boys remain in need of immediate, lifesaving support.

The country received 391 mm (15.4 inches) of rain, or some 190% more than the 30-year average through July and August, a monsoon spell that started early and stretched beyond the usual timeline. Rainfall in the southern province of Sindh shot up to 466% of the average.

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Ahsan says all available resources should be used to eradicate smog at the air pollution meeting.

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According to Ahsan Iqbal, the country’s minister of planning and development, a non-traditional approach is required to address the pollution problem, and every available resource would be used to eradicate this grave issue.

Children are disproportionately affected by pollution, the Planning Minister stated during a special meeting on smog and air pollution in Islamabad.

He claimed that cooperation between the federal government and the provinces is urgently needed to address the various problems that climate change has caused in Pakistan.

Smog is interfering with everyday activities, the Minister added, and it has grown to be a serious threat to our future.

Burning crop residue is the cause of smog, he claimed.

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Deputy Prime Minister Speaks at COP-29 Summit: Pakistan Needs $348 Billion to Become Climate Resilient by 2030

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According to Muhammad Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, the current international finance system is biased against climate-responsive investment in developing nations.

Pakistan, according to Dar, continues to rank in the top ten nations most affected by climate change. The catastrophic floods of 2022 caused losses and damages of more over USD 30 billion, and they reduced Pakistan’s GDP by 4%. It took USD 348 billion for Pakistan to become climate resilient by 2030.

Dar stated Pakistan’s continued commitment to working with the international community to address climate change.

“We allocate 20% of our annual public sector program to climate-responsive public investments, which include climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and integrated flood response,” he added. The goal of Pakistan’s national climate finance plan is to use climate finance to meet our demands for adaptation as well as mitigation,” he added.

Dar praised the forum’s dedication to establishing innovative climate finance tools that will unlock accessible, affordable, and available climate funding for developing nations.

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KP Police Apprehend Key Terrorist: Primary Perpetrator of 2023 Policelines Explosion Detained: IG KP

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Inspector General of Police Khayber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat Khan, announces the apprehension of the primary perpetrator of the 2023 police line explosion, along with the arrest of the facilitator of the police line suicide assault in Peshawar.

During a news conference, the Inspector General stated that the apprehended individual is a constable of the Peshawar district police and was affiliated with the proscribed organization Jamaat Al-Ahrar, a faction of Fitnah Al-Khawarij.

Personnel from the Counter Terrorism Department apprehended the suspect Muhammad Wali, also known as Umar, near Ring Road, Jameel Chowk, Peshawar following a successful operation.

He stated that Wali confessed to having visited many Jamaat Al-Ahrar bases in Afghanistan as a member of the group, where he received funding and training for terrorist operations in Pakistan.

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