Following the recent monsoon rains, the country as a whole, and particularly in Karachi, where hundreds of dengue patients are being taken to hospitals on a daily basis, has seen at least a 50% increase in dengue fever cases, according to Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman.
The minister issued a warning that anticipated more rains might harm the relief and recovery efforts now taking place in the flood-affected areas.
These opinions were voiced by Rehman at a news conference in Islamabad, where she also discussed the deteriorating conditions in Sindh as a result of the spread of water- and vector-borne illnesses.
Speaking of river flooding, she stated that the Kotri Barrage on the Indus River had high flood levels due to an influx of more than 600,000 cusecs of water, posing a serious threat to the surrounding areas.
"It is sad that the opposition is aggressively urging all foreign supporters to not offer help or support via anybody other than their own PTI sources on social media and other open forums. In Pakistan’s worst hour of need, such purposeful encouragement of public division is a frightening revelation of the rationale behind the divisive politics being promoted, she regretted.
The climate change minister talked about the impending health disaster in the flooded areas, saying that floods have brought the threat of water- and vector-borne illnesses including dengue and cholera.
She cited a recent remark by Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah when she indicated that it may take three to six months to drain the water in Sindh. She also said that the Manchar Lake has been overflowing since early September, flooding hundreds of villages and forcing more than 100,000 people to leave.
"We are stepping up our efforts to provide medications and medical personnel to the 81 disaster-stricken regions. As more data emerges, these are still extremely preliminary estimates, she emphasised.
The senator referred to the issue of food security as another approaching disaster brought on by the floods and added that 70% of the rice and maize harvests, as well as the onion and rice crops, had been entirely devastated.
“Nearly 2 million acres of crops and orchards have been hit, according to the United Nations. Right now, urgent relief in the form of food, tents and medicines is being provided by NDMA and PDMAs but we need more resources to meet the needs on the ground,” she said.
“The death toll has reached 1,422 in number,” she lamented, adding that Sindh witnessed the highest number of deaths at 594 in total and had a huge population in camps. Highlighting the economic losses due to the floods, Rehman maintained that Pakistan had incurred a severe agricultural loss, and damage to infrastructure, including to 6,579km of roads, 246 bridges and railway infrastructure.
“Around 485,922 houses have been completely damaged in Sindh, the highest number of houses damaged in any province. Estimates will all have to be revised when the actual scale of the damage is clear. The looming threat of flood down the Kotri Barrage is still at large. The monsoon has been forecast to stretch into September in Sindh. That could pose a huge challenge in the existing crisis. We are faced with a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions,” she remarked.
Appreciating the visit of the UN secretary-general to Pakistan, she said Pakistan had appreciated his visit with an unequivocal plea for humanitarian assistance. “We, meanwhile, welcome all support for the destitute and homeless victims of this flood, irrespective of cast, colour or political creed. Every Pakistani in need has a right to assistance. We will never stand in the way of that, for burnishing our own political brand,” the senator said.
