The United Nations children’s agency on Wednesday renewed its appeal for $39 million in order to assist those who are most in need of assistance during floods. Pakistan that was afflicted by malnutrition and waterborne diseases that claimed the lives of 10 more in Sindh including four children.
Unicef stated that over 3.4 million children were removed from their homes, and floodwaters have caused the deaths of more than 500 children across the nation including 293 children in the province that is the most affected, Sindh.
Pakistan has been hit hard by unprecedented rainstorms, flooding one-third part of Pakistan – roughly similar to that of that of the United Kingdom – and killing around 1,600 people according to the most recent government statistics.
More than 7 million have become forced to flee with many of them living in makeshift tents, without any protection against mosquitoes. They also have very little access to drinking water that is clean or facilities for washing.
United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Julien Harneis declared that Pakistan was facing a “second catastrophe” from illnesses like dengue malaria, malaria, cholera and diarrhoea as well being malnourished.
“My personal fear is that the rate of mortality due to the water-borne diseasesand due to malnutrition, will be greater than what we’ve seen thus in the past,” he told a press event in Islamabad. “That’s real, but a realistic knowing.”
More than 33 million people are affected by the floods which have destroyed nearly 2 million homes and commercial buildings, washed away 7,000 kilometers of roads, and destroyed 500 bridges.
A large portion of the farmland most of which are in Sindh are still submerged. “Families are without food, safe drinking water or medications,” Unicef said, renewing its appeal for $39 million that is just a quarter of what it has been able to fund to date.
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The United Nations also expressed its worry over the rising incidence of water-borne illnesses. “We are extremely concerned about the real risk of a tsunami of death and illness that has already stretched its tentacles. Another catastrophe is within reach,” it said in an announcement.
The UN stated that over 134,000 cases and 44,000 malaria cases were discovered in the flood-hit areas of Sindh during the past week. “Millions of youngsters are struggling to survive and we are worried that thousands won’t survive,” it added.
“Five hundred children perished from direct impacts of the floods” declared Unicef field operations chief Scott Whoolery. “We’re not concerned about hundreds. We’re more concerned with thousands of people,” He added. “Many of them, we won’t know about, and they’ll never be included.”
“The top priority is to tackle the health crisis hitting the flood-hit districts at the moment,” said Harneis said in Islamabad. Medical professionals and doctors are trying to control the spread of waterborne disease in Sindh.
The unprecedented monsoon rains as well as flooding, which experts believe is due to changes in the climate, have impacted millions of people, and killed 1.569 individuals across the United States in the last two weeks of June. In all 701 people — which includes 31 women passed away in Sindh.
