Pakistan faces spread of Malaria, other diseases in flood-hit areas

Karachi [Pakistan], September 23 (ANI): As Pakistan continues to bear the brunt of ongoing floods, infectious diseases like Malaria, typhoid and dengue fever are fast spreading across regions as the death toll reached 324, authorities said on Wednesday, the Express Tribune reported.
The stagnant floodwaters have led to widespread cases of skin and eye infections, diarrhoea, malaria, typhoid and dengue fever across numerous provinces in Pakistan, triggering health threats to people in Pakistan.
Despite the efforts of the government and local and foreign relief organisations, many people are in urgent need of food and medicine in flood-hit regions despite the efforts of the government and humanitarian organisations, according to the Express Tribune.
A majority of Pakistanis are unhappy with the government's response to the unprecedented natural disaster that has ravaged millions of lives in the cash-strapped country, according to a survey.
This displeasure was evident in the latest Pattan survey published this week. The survey was conducted by community-based activists at 38 disaster-hit localities of 14 districts of three flood-hit provinces, the Dawn newspaper reported.
As per the survey, most localities were unhappy with the performance of state institutions. People in 92 per cent of locations were forced to leave their villages and neighbourhoods due to floods, the survey said.
After six weeks of flooding, many families from 15 locations were found living under the open sky on roads, and without tents.
Since June this year, Pakistan has endured harsh monsoon weather resulting in a serious humanitarian and development crisis.
According to government estimates, about 33 million people across the country have been affected by unrelenting heavy rains and flooding - the worst in decades.
Millions of acres of crops and orchards - many of those ready to harvest - have been damaged and destroyed, and the next planting season is threatened. Agriculture is a critical source of sustenance and livelihood for the majority of families in Pakistan, and for the economy of the country.
Pakistan has a total of 160 districts. To date, half of these across the country is declared "calamity hit." And that number is expected to increase.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted more than normal rains in the south-eastern areas of Sindh in September. (ANI)