Lake Manchar: Water from Pakistan’s largest lake is at risk of overflowing into densely populated cities
The death toll since mid-June reached 1,325 on Monday, with more than 12,000 injured, according to Pakistan’s National Flood Response Coordination Center (NFRCC). And the death toll is expected to rise.
At least 33 million people have been affected by the floods – about 15% of the country’s population, according to government officials and relief organizations.
Some areas – especially the southern provinces of Sindh and Balochistan – have experienced monsoon rainfall five times higher than normal.
According to Jamal Mangan, Pakistan’s Special Secretary for Irrigation, on Sunday officials attempted to release water from Lake Manchar, in Sindh province, into the nearby districts of Jaffarabad and Bubak, home to about 100,000 people.
Mangan said it had hoped to be able to stop the lake from overflowing and flooding more populous cities and towns across Sindh, including Sehwan, Dadu and Bhan Syedabad, Mangan said.
But Jam Khan Shoro, the province’s Irrigation Minister, said on Monday that despite their efforts, the water level in the lake remained high.
Shoro told Reuters: “The water level in Lake Manchar has not yet dropped, and declined to say if any other attempt to drain water from another lake has been made.
‘This won’t be over in two months’
UNICEF warned in a statement Wednesday that 3 million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance across Pakistan due to the increased risk of water-borne diseases, drowning and malnutrition.
Dr Deedar Hussain from Pakistan’s health ministry said he fears an outbreak of waterborne diseases if floodwaters do not recede fast enough.
“A lot of patients have come to us, according to our records, we have received 16,000 patients (from the district), mainly patients with allergies due to flood water, some patients with diarrhea, fever, Hussain told Reuters on Saturday.
Aurélie Godet, press officer for the Médecins du Monde, told CNN on Thursday that the floodwaters washed away everything.
“Survivors must start from scratch. They urgently need formal shelters, affordable food, access to healthcare and basic items. But this won’t end in two. month, they need a long-term aid,” Godet said.
Godet said the children came to their clinic with serious foot injuries because they had no shoes. And she says some people can’t get their regular medication because soaring prices also make food too expensive, even outside of floodplains.
“In the dryer areas, survivors tell us that one difference now for them is the price of food, because the roads are impassable. It’s four times the market price. They can’t afford to pay for it. eat,” she said.
Additional reporting from CNN and Reuters’ Azaz Syed.
