Aerial view of inundated villages and croplands in Sindh. Photo courtesy Twitter
Total deaths caused by rain-related incidents across Pakistan since mid-June soared to 1,314 on Sunday, including 585 men, 262 women and 458 children.
In its daily report, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 24 deaths had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, while injuries had increased by 115. There are now 12,703 confirmed injured due to heavy rains and floods, comprising 5,332 men; 3,396 women; and 3,975 children.
The latest update from the federal body said an additional 172km of roads had been damaged in the past 24 hours, and 214,707 homes either partially damaged or fully destroyed. Total losses from this year’s devastating rains have now climbed to 5,735km of roads, 246 bridges, and 173 shops damaged; 1,124,835 homes partially damaged and 557,891 fully destroyed; and confirmed losses of 750,405 livestock, the majority in Balochistan.
Apprising the public about ongoing relief activities, the NDMA said that of the more than 33 million people impacted by the floods, 169,831 had been rescued, while 631,824 were currently living in various relief camps—the most in Sindh at 542,415.
According to the National Highways Authority, travel on the Balochistan M-8 is currently impacted by landslides on a 24km section of Wangu Hills. Similarly, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the N-95 is blocked between the 20km Bahrain-Ashrait and 8km Laikot-Kalam sections due to debris, while the N-50 has been reopened to traffic, apart from a breached section of the Sagu bridge. In Sindh, the N-55, from Meher Johi Canal to Khairpur Nathan Shah is closed to traffic due to the road being submerged.
Manchar Lake
As part of the Sindh government’s efforts to prevent Pakistan’s largest lake from breaching and causing even more flooding in the province, authorities on Sunday made a controlled breach in the Manchar Lake’s dyke at the RD-14 point. According to Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, the cut directly impacts the constituency of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, and would likely leave his personal home flooded.
Rebutting reports the government was striving to protect the homes and agricultural land of influential politicians at the cost of the general public, he said the decision to make a cut at the RD-14 point was taken to save nearby towns. He admitted 125,000 people would have to be displaced due to the five union councils that had been impacted by the controlled breach, but stressed that the government was working to evacuate all affected residents.
Sehwan Deputy Commissioner Capt. (retd.) Fariduddin Mustafa told local media the breach had allowed the excess water to enter the Indus River after passing through Kiranpur village and Indus Link. Officials of the Sindh Irrigation Department said it would reduce pressure of water entering the lake by 30 percent, adding the next 24-48 hours were crucial to ensure the Manchar Lake’s embankment did not collapse and cause overflow.
Manchar Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in Pakistan. It is located near several major districts, including Sehwan Sharif in Jamshoro and Dadu.
Cause for concern
With millions estimated to currently be living beneath an open sky, with little to no access to clean water or even a stable source of food, health experts have started to warn of a looming increase in casualties due to hunger and disease. In Sindh, which has been worst-hit by this year’s rains, authorities have confirmed 660,120 cases of illness at government-run medical camps in flood-affected areas since July.
The most prominent ailments, per authorities, are skin diseases and diarrhea. Additionally, cases of acute respiratory disease, suspected malaria, snake and dog bites have also been reported.
Speaking with private broadcaster Dawn News on Sunday, Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho said nearly 47,000 pregnant women were sheltering at camps in the province, and required urgent medical care. This echoes a warning issued by the United Nations Population Fund last week, which had stressed the need to provide healthcare facilities to almost 650,000 pregnant women stranded in flood-hit regions across Pakistan. It had warned that around 73,000 women were expected to deliver next month and would require skilled birth attendants, newborn care, and support to ensure safety for both the children and their mothers.
In her interview, Dr. Pechuho said over 15,000 cases of skin infection; 14,000 of diarrhea and over 13,000 of acute respiratory illnesses were being reported daily at government-run medical camps. Volunteers and rescue workers on the ground fear this is only the tip of the iceberg, stressing there are hundreds of thousands people who have yet to receive any relief or medical aid because they are living in far-flung areas from which all access has been cut off for days or even weeks.