Unprecedented flood in Pakistan, WHO declares highest level of health emergency

Unprecedented flood has caused massive devastation in Pakistan. World Health Organization has declared highest level of health emergency in the country.

There is inundation in almost one-third of Pakistan. More than 1,200 people including 400 children have lost their lives since mid-June. More than 33 million people including around 16 million children have been affected. It has all happened as Pakistan received ten-times heavier rainfall than usual since mid-June. Torrential monsoon rains were witnessed in country. Sindh Province is affected the most. The area has received 466 per cent more rain than the 30-year average. The rivers have been overflowing and as a result, the water is transcending its banks. Dams are also overflowing. It has resulted in damage to homes, farms, schools, healthcare facilities, roads and bridges. As a matter of fact, as many as 18,000 schools and 888 health facilities have been either damaged or destroyed in the country. There is inundation spread over large geographic area.

As per the national disaster agency, more than two million acres (8,09,371 hectares) of agricultural land have been flooded. Now, the people including the children are staring at health hazards. They are at risk of water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and cholera, respiratory ailments and skin diseases. They also face malnutrition as everything around them has fallen apart. The Pakistan government has cited ‘climate change’ as the possible reason behind the prevailing situation.

As per WHO, over 6.4 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed a need of $10 billion for the rehabilitation work. The United Nations along with Pakistan has appealed for $160 million to help the country immediately. Amid all this, many countries have also come forward to help Pakistan. United Kingdom has allocated up to £1.5m ($1.8m). Many other nations including China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and UAE have extended their help as well. The country is an immediate need of concerted need to rescue and rehabilitate affected people. The immediate challenge for the administration is to provide nutrition, sanitation, medicines, medical equipment, safe drinking water to people scattered in large area.