Pakistan floods: Two million hit by disease in Sindh
The lessons we never learn
More than two million people in Pakistan are suffering from flood-related diseases following torrential rain in Sindh province, officials say.
More than 7,000 people are being treated for snake bites.
Aid agencies estimate that six million people have been affected by the floods and that cases of malaria and diarrhoea are increasing.
The 2010 floods were obviously the first of its kind in Pakistan and took every one by surprise. It’s a shame that a year later we haven’t learnt at all and a large number of people are affected again.
In a recent television interview with DawnNews the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD)’s Director Dr Muhammad Hanif confessed negligence in issuing a warning last year, however he said an early warning was issued for the floods to all the stake holders this year. So the question is why didn’t the responsible authorities take preventive measures?
The following image appeared in the Daily Dawn paper. As you can see the major impact of the torrential rain was on the Sindh province. The severely affected cities, this year include Badin, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Umerkot, Tharparkar and Tando Allahyar.
I guess unless people start taking refuge in the President’s house and the dry cosy homes of the high-ups, things won’t change for them! Pakistanis are such a resilient nation, and their resilience is costing them everything.
The lessons we never learn
More than two million people in Pakistan are suffering from flood-related diseases following torrential rain in Sindh province, officials say.More than 7,000 people are being treated for snake bites.
Aid agencies estimate that six million people have been affected by the floods and that cases of malaria and diarrhoea are increasing.
The UN's refugee agency says that the flooding is so bad that some areas will remain submerged for six months.
Almost a year from now, I remember browsing through images of the Pakistan flood victims as I sat alone in the night shift at work. I saw the hopelessness in the faces of the victims, and today I see similar expressions on this year’s flood affectees as a video plays in front of me on the television screen – a troubling reminder of government negligence perhaps?
According to various government officials, this year at least 270 people have died in Sindh, 5.3 million people and 1.2 million homes have been affected and 1.7 million acres of crops have been destroyed.
In a recent television interview with DawnNews the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD)’s Director Dr Muhammad Hanif confessed negligence in issuing a warning last year, however he said an early warning was issued for the floods to all the stake holders this year. So the question is why didn’t the responsible authorities take preventive measures?
The following image appeared in the Daily Dawn paper. As you can see the major impact of the torrential rain was on the Sindh province. The severely affected cities, this year include Badin, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Umerkot, Tharparkar and Tando Allahyar.
I guess unless people start taking refuge in the President’s house and the dry cosy homes of the high-ups, things won’t change for them! Pakistanis are such a resilient nation, and their resilience is costing them everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment