City
Epaper

Lack of clean drinking water spiking diseases in flood-hit Pak

By IANS | Updated: September 3, 2022 22:50 IST

Islamabad, Sep 3 Aid workers warn a lack of clean drinking is causing an increase in diseases in ...

Open in App

Islamabad, Sep 3 Aid workers warn a lack of clean drinking is causing an increase in diseases in Pakistan, as the death toll from devastating floods crosses 1,200, the media reported.

Access to clean water was the biggest problem for those trying to find food and shelter, said medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the BBC reported.

The government met on Saturday to assess the scale of the floods which have submerged a third of the country.

At least one in three of the victims of the flooding are said to be children.

Some 1.4 million homes had been destroyed in record record monsoon rains which have affected more than 33 million people.

The country's top disaster management official said that 2022 had brought some harsh realities of climate change for Pakistan, the BBC reported.

"This year we did not witness a spring season... we faced four heatwaves which caused large-scale forest fires across the country," said Akhtar Nawaz.

Meanwhile, UN children's agency Unicef said more children were at risk of dying from disease in Pakistan due to the shortage of clean water.

"There is now a high risk of water-borne, deadly diseases spreading rapidly, diarrhoea, cholera, dengue, malaria," Unicef's Abdullah Fadil said. "There is therefore a risk of many more child deaths."

Estimates suggest the floods have caused at least $10 billion of damage in Pakistan, and many people face serious food shortages. Nearly half of the country's crops have been destroyed. The country was already suffering from an economic crisis, the BBC reported.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Tags: SeptemberAkhtar nawazpakistanislamabadbbcAustralia broadcasting corporationBbc radioDhs punjabBroadcasting corporationOrganisation secretary and member of parliament r.Facebook ireland headquartersBritish broadcasting company
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalIran Terrorist Attack Video: At Least 8 Killed, 13 Injured in Zahedan Firing; Pakistani Group Claims Responsibility

EntertainmentPakistani Actress Humaira Asghar Dies At 32, Decomposed Body Found in Karachi Home by Local Police

MaharashtraRaigad: Suspicious Pakistani Boat in Arabian Sea Turns Out to Be Buoy

OpinionsVicious Plot to Drown Nation in Drugs

EntertainmentPakistani Actor Mawra Hocane’s Instagram Visible in India Again Months After Ban

International Realted Stories

InternationalAt least 68 migrants die after boat sinks off Yemen coast

InternationalPresident Ferdinand Marcos Jr of Philippines to arrive in India on state visit, says MEA

InternationalUS Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to visit Russia next week, says Trump

InternationalChocolate wrappers, Voter ID cards link Pahalgam attackers to Pak: Sources

InternationalUN-Habitat warns of crisis in Kabul's informal settlements