Islamabad, 21 September 2022 (TDI): The UN Refugee Relief Agency (UNHCR) has warned Pakistan that the flood water could take up to six months to recede in the hardest-hit areas.
Southern Sindh and Eastern Baluchistan, where the flood hit the hardest, are still submerged in water. UNHCR spokesperson, Babar Baloch informed the reporters about the warning in an interview on Tuesday.
UN agencies warn it could take 6 months for flood waters to abate in #Pakistan. Food, shelter and healthcare are all in short supply @UNICEF & @Refugees said Tuesdayhttps://t.co/8RJJgHaK0S
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) September 21, 2022
Scale of destruction
These disastrous floods have displaced nearly 7.8 million people. 600,000 people are living in relief sites according to the statistics of UNHCR. The water has wrecked the infrastructure, it has washed away roads and bridges.
Birukila, the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) Chief of Field Office in Baluchistan, informed about the spread of cerebral malaria.
She added, “The life-threatening disease has now spread among the displaced communities for which there is no available medicine.”
On top of that, this flood has already killed more than 1,500 people, including 552 children. In the absence of required healthcare, waterborne diseases are complicating the situation even more.
People need clothing, shelter, medicine, and all the necessities as they have fled their homes and have lost their livelihoods. They are suffering due to the limited resources as compared to the large-scale destruction.
Also read: USAID releases Pakistan Floods Facts Sheet
Flood relief efforts
The UN relief agencies have been working side by side with the local authorities all over Pakistan. They have been providing shelter, healthcare, food, and other relief items to the people affected by the floods.
To date, UNHCR has delivered more than one million life-saving items to local authorities for distribution. It has now coordinated logistics to transport 1.2 million relief items to local authorities in Sindh and Baluchistan.
The UN agencies and the government of Pakistan have also acknowledged the vast scale of destruction caused by these floods. It still requires more effort as the challenges are going to persist for six months and beyond according to UNHCR.
