An aerial view of the breaches in the Manchar Lake embankment. Photo courtesy Twitter
The United Nations on Tuesday warned of worsening conditions for flood-hit populations in Pakistan in the days to come, as total deaths from this year’s rains in the country climbed to 1,343, including 591 men, 269 women and 474 children.
In a press conference from Geneva, the U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO) said over 1,460 health centers across Pakistan had been damaged, the majority in Sindh province, with 432 of these completely destroyed. It said the global health organization and its partners had set up over 4,500 medical camps to facilitate the impacted population, with reports emerging that acute watery diarrhea, malaria, dengue, hepatitis and chikungunya were spreading alongside COVID-19, HIV and polio. “Now all these are at risk of getting worse,” warned WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic, noting the situation was worsening because many areas remained inaccessible due to the scale of the calamity, which has submerged an area of Pakistan the size of the U.K.
“The situation is expected to worsen,” he warned, noting infant mortality and severe malnutrition were also at risk of increasing due to disruption in medical services. The spokesman also emphasized the threat of food insecurity, noting the destruction of crops and livestock in flood-hit region.
Sindh still threatened
The Sindh government on Tuesday continued attempts to reduce the water level of Manchar Lake, breaching it at two more points, as floodwaters remain a threat to nearby population centers. Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro told media the water level in the lake had not receded despite a controlled breach over the weekend, but hoped the looming threat in the areas of Dadu, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Mehar would ease after the latest breaches.
The controlled breaches, thus far, have inundated hundreds of small towns and villages, as the government efforts to protect major urban centers have diverted waters, prompting calls for mass evacuations. The government has pledged to provide Rs. 25,000 as immediate compensation to all families impacted by the floods, with the federal cabinet on Tuesday increasing the amount allocated for the assistance to Rs. 70 billion from the previously announced Rs. 28 billion.
Impact and relief
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 18 more deaths were reported in the previous 24 hours—5 men, 5 women and 8 children—raising to 1,343 the total casualties recorded since this year’s rains began in mid-June. The worst-hit province is Sindh, with 536 deaths, followed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at 290; Balochistan 260; Punjab 191; Pakistan-administered Kashmir 43; Gilgit-Baltistan 22; and Islamabad 1. At the same time, total recorded injuries have now soared to 12,720, with 8,321 in Sindh; 3,858 Punjab; 351 KP; 164 Balochistan; 21 Pakistan-administered Kashmir; and 5 GB.
The total number of homes damaged or destroyed by the floods also continues to rise, as receding waters in the country’s north allow for the assessment of damages, and ongoing flooding in the south inundates even more areas. The NDMA said 1.13 million homes had been partially destroyed across Pakistan, while 560,789 had been completely ruined. Livestock losses also continue to mount, with Punjab reporting the death of 205,106 animals; Sindh 24,773; KP 20,474; and Pakistan-administered Kashmir 792. Balochistan remains the worst-hit for livestock, reporting a tentative loss of 500,000 animals, though authorities warn this number could rise after floodwaters recede and a full damage assessment has been completed.
Meanwhile, 6,579km of roads have been damaged nationwide since mid-June; 2,578km in Sindh, 1,589km KP, 1,500km Balochistan, 896km Punjab, and 16km GB. The total number of bridges damaged or washed away by the floods currently stands at 246. Damages to infrastructure continue to leave many flooded areas of the country inaccessible, with the Pakistan Railways reporting that several tracks in Balochistan and Sindh were currently closed because of damages to bridges and water inundation.
Overall, more than 33 million people across Pakistan have been affected by the flooding. As part of global relief efforts, the U.N. Refugee Agency has scaled up support in the country through an airlift operation from Dubai that is provided targeted aid to Larkana and Sukkur. It said three of nine scheduled flights had already arrived in Pakistan, adding five more were on the way. The aid provided thus far includes 40,000 sleeping mats; around 15,000 kitchen sets; and some 5,000 multi-purpose tarpaulins.