Although it has stopped raining, water is still high in several of Pakistan’s provinces. The city of Jaffrabad in Baluchistan is surrounded by water. Millions of infection-spreading mosquitoes hatch in the water. This has led to an explosive growth of water-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and diarrhoea. – Malaria has become the biggest problem here. 6 out of 10 patients who receive treatment with us have malaria and need medication, says senior doctor Imran Baloch on the phone from the district hospital in Jaffrabad. He has had to treat the sick out in the field when the hospital was under water. – Malaria has become the biggest problem here. 6 out of 10 patients who receive treatment with us have malaria and need medication. Photo: Atta Ansari / news news visited Jaffrabad at the beginning of September. Even then, the situation was critical, but it has worsened. – The situation has become even worse. Every day we receive between 400 and 500 patients with malaria, says Baloch excitedly. The World Health Organization calls what is happening now a potential disaster. – I am seriously concerned about a new potential disaster in Pakistan. We have a wave of disease and death as a result of this. This was written by the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a press release. The flood has destroyed roads and made it impossible for many to reach the hospital. Photo: FIDA HUSSAIN / AFP Impassable roads The doctor in Jaffrabad tells of a doubling of the number of patients. There is a lack of doctors and medicines. The biggest problem is that many sick people cannot get to a doctor. People live scattered in the district. The flood has destroyed roads and made it impossible for many to reach the hospital. – We try to help everyone, but there are no ways. We have three ambulances, but only one of them works, says Baloch. In addition to the flood-related illnesses, it is difficult to provide regular health care. Pregnant women are not allowed to recover in the hospital and must give birth at home. – Women must give birth without access to a doctor or midwife. This has led to an increase in deaths among both mothers and infants. That’s what the doctor at the hospital in Jaffrabad says. Patients receive medical treatment in the field by doctor Imran Baloch when the district hospital in Jaffarabad was recently flooded. Photo: Atta Ansari Desperate situation Snow melting from the glaciers in the mountains and heavy monsoon rain led to a violent flood at the end of August. The flood has led to between 6.4 million people being displaced from their homes. All of these now need emergency help to survive. Both the UN and aid organizations have sent in emergency aid and relief crews, but it is still not enough. This is what Knut Østby, country manager for the UN’s development program in Pakistan says on a visit to Chitral in the north. – There are still many who have not received the help they need. There is a lot of despair and frustration here. People who have lost everything and need emergency help, says Østby. – There are still many who have not received the help they need. There is a lot of despair and frustration here. People who have lost everything and need emergency help, says Østby. Photo: Shuja Hakim / UNDP Pakistan The floodwaters have destroyed roads, which has made it difficult to get help. The worst affected areas have been abandoned, so aid is delivered to refugee camps in more accessible locations. – Emergency aid arrives, but it is not enough for everyone. Emergency aid is short-term, in the longer term people must get help to fend for themselves, says Østby. People have to rebuild houses, so they have somewhere to live. Millions of Pakistanis can no longer support themselves. Crops are flooded. Livestock have drowned and factories have been destroyed. Power cut 17 hours a day The flood has led to a negative spiral of events. One of the effects of the floods is broken aggregates and power grids. Even hospitals are not allowed to have electricity 24 hours a day. We only have access to electricity for 6-7 hours per day, says hospital doctor Imran Baloch. – It is a big problem for us at the hospital. We need solar panels to have access to electricity around the clock. He says that they are still in a rescue phase and that it will take half a year before people in the area can begin reconstruction and rehabilitation. – We are trying to reduce the damage caused by flooding meltwater by installing warning systems, says Knut Østby of the United Nations Development Fund. Photo: Shuja Hakim / UNDP Pakistan Not the last time – We need to rebuild in a way that can withstand future natural disasters, says Knut Østby on a visit to a flood-stricken village in Chitral. In the Hindukush mountains, the water has receded and the population has to start preparing for the next one. – This has been declared a natural disaster. It is due to global warming and it will happen again. Monitoring the snowmelt of Pakistan’s 5,000 glaciers could minimize the damage of future floods. There may be different ways to minimize the damage from the future floods. Houses should not be rebuilt in the same place, but in more elevated and flood-proof areas. This also involves continuous monitoring of the snowmelt of the 5,000 glaciers in the mountains. – We try to reduce the damage caused by flooding meltwater by installing warning systems. Østby tells about an aid project under the auspices of the UN Development Fund where people in Pakistan’s valleys can log on to the internet and read about snowmelt and water levels up in the mountains. Then it will be easier to evacuate the villages, the next time a major flood is on the way.
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The rain has stopped, but the situation has worsened – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
