Geneva: The United Nations warned on Tuesday the humanitarian situation in flood-ravaged Pakistan was expected to get worse, a day after establishing an air bridge to deliver aid to victims.
More than 33 million people in Pakistan have been affected by the flooding, brought on by record monsoon rains amplified by climate change. The floods have caused at least 1,300 deaths and washed away homes, businesses, roads and bridges.
The UN’s World Health Organization said more than 1,460 health centers had been damaged, of which 432 were fully wrecked, the majority of them in the southeastern province of Sindh.
More than 4,500 medical camps have been set up by the WHO and its partners, while more than 230,000 rapid tests for acute watery diarrhea, malaria, dengue, hepatitis and chikungunya have been distributed.
Such diseases are already circulating in Pakistan, alongside Covid-19, HIV and polio, and “now all these are at risk of getting worse,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva.
“We have already received reports of increased number of cases of acute watery diarrhea, typhoid, measles and malaria, especially in the worst-affected areas.”
Jasarevic said it was still difficulty to get to areas hit hard by the floods, which have submerged a third of the country — an area the size of the United Kingdom
Mortality among newborn babies and severe acute malnutrition are at risk of increasing due to disruption of services.
“The situation is expected to worsen,” Jasarevic warned.
The WHO has delivered $1.5 million in medicines and emergency stockpiles, including tents, water purification kits and oral rehydration sachets.
It is appealing for $19 million from donors.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has launched an air bridge to deliver aid from Dubai.
The first four flights took off on Monday, said Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR’s regional director for Asia and the Pacific.
Six other flights are planned, with mattresses, tarpaulins and cooking utensils on board.
“The food insecurity is going to be huge because the crops are devastated, obviously, and the little they had in terms of livestock is also destroyed,” he said.
UN preparing for worse to come in Pakistan floods
https://arab.news/nnfha
UN preparing for worse to come in Pakistan floods
- UN’s World Health Organization said more than 1,460 health centers had been damaged
- UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has launched an air bridge to deliver aid from Dubai
Nine Pakistani firms showcase auto components at Automechanika Dubai 2025
- Pakistan to present automotive parts, engineering goods, hybrid-tech capabilities to global buyers
- Expo expected to draw 50,000 visitors and 2,400 exhibitors from over 60 countries, Consulate says
ISLAMABAD: Nine Pakistani companies are exhibiting automotive parts and engineering products at Automechanika Dubai 2025, one of the world’s largest auto-sector trade events, the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai said on Tuesday.
The three-day expo, being held from Dec. 9–11 at the Dubai World Trade Center, is expected to draw more than 50,000 buyers and 2,400 exhibitors from 60 countries, showcasing parts, components, lubricants, batteries, radiators, electronics, diagnostics tools, lighting, accessories, paint and body systems, as well as electric and hybrid vehicle technology.
Pakistan’s automotive and engineering sector contributes to manufacturing, employment and exports, with companies increasingly targeting Middle East and African markets for sourcing and aftermarket supply.
“Nine Pakistani companies facilitated by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) are exhibiting their products to highlight Pakistan’s strengths in automotive parts, engineering goods and related industries,” the Consulate said.
Pakistan’s Consul General in Dubai Hussain Muhammad inaugurated the country pavilion and said participation at Automechanika reflects Islamabad’s intent to position its manufacturers in global supply chains and expand access to high-value export markets. Trade and Investment Counselor Ali Zeb Khan also reaffirmed support for exporters seeking new business linkages.
In November, Pakistan also exhibited at Big 5 Global 2025, showcasing construction materials and technologies at what is considered the world’s largest construction industry gathering.
