DADU: Twelve more flood victims died of water-borne diseases on Monday as death toll reached 690 due to flood-devastation in Sindh, while the catastrophe also destroyed or damaged over 1.6 million houses, 3.5 million acres of standing crops, and displaced 6.8 million people.
The two illnesses have so far been identified as the primary factor in the majority of deaths among internally displaced people (IDPs) who are residing in substandard conditions in relief camps and flooded areas.
Two flood victims named Akbar Solangi and Imtiaz Qambrani, according to media reports, passed away in Sita village, close to Mehar town, from malaria and gastroenteritis.
Misri Khoso, age 3, passed away in a tent city for IDPs in Shafi Mohammad Colony, while Rahim Chandio, age 10, passed away in a camp close to the bypass in Mehar town.
Shah Rukh Khan, a local artist, and Atta Mohammad Chandio, a merchant, all passed away from malaria and gastroenteritis in Mehar, while Amanat Jamali and Budhi Jamali, two ladies, also passed away from malaria in the village of Bukhar Jamali, close to Wahi Pandhi town.
According to the reports, eight people have died from the two diseases in K.N. Shah and the surrounding region in the last five days, and 20 people have died from them in Mehar Taluka in the last 30 days.
Six teams from the health department and PPHI were working in Mehar and 16 other areas of the district, according to Dadu DHO Dr. Ahmed Ali Samejo. Over the previous 19 days, the teams had attended to 135,000 patients in all, he said.
According to the report issued by the Sindh government, the catastrophic flood damaged 1,697,157 houses – 1,001,959 houses partially and 695,198 completely.
In terms of aid, Sindh has received 240,881 tents and 608,608 ration bags from national and provincial disaster management authorities, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force and other organizations for the 6.8 million flood victims, state the report.
