PAKISTAN: Aid agencies fear more disease and malnutrition in wake of floods

Record ID: 346098

  • Title: PAKISTAN: Aid agencies fear more disease and malnutrition in wake of floods
  • Date: 2nd September 2010
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 17th September 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: International Relations,Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVACKPTM5QHOEKQAA2OI4LPG6RM8
  • Story Text: Aid agencies fear disease, food shortages and malnutrition may create new crises for Pakistan's flood victims.
    The U.N High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) relief agency has set up a relief camp in Nowshera.
    But those displaced by the worst floods in Pakistan's history remain vulnerable to diseases.
    "We are concerned about outbreak of diseases because people have difficulties accessing clean water, food and often the hygienic conditions are poor. So there is an increased communicable diseases," Doctor Hendrikus, Emergency Relief Coordinator from World Health Organisation (WHO) told reporters in Charsadda on Wednesday (September 1).
    Flood victims queued at a hospital at Northwestern town of Pabbi to receive treatment. on Wednesday.
    The hospital was set up a week ago by WHO with Pakistan's ministry of health and an NGO from the United Kingdom.
    The hospital is treating around 130 patients daily and has provided treatment to 1130 patients so far, a spokesperson for WHO said.
    "As this centre is focusing mainly on diarrhea, so the patients for diarrhea, vomiting, they come here, mainly children and women of every age. But focus is on small children, they come here and they get treatment," said Doctor Nadeem Jan, who is in charge of the hospital.
    Aid agencies are warning that with so much farmland under water in a country which is heavily dependent on agriculture the crisis in Pakistan could persist for months.
    At least 3.2 million hectares (8.4 million acres), about 14 percent of Pakistan's entire cultivated land, have been damaged.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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