Global health agency says 6.4 million people in Pakistan in dire need of aid

ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday more than 6.4 million people in Pakistan were in dire need of humanitarian aid as devastating floods continued to wreak havoc in the country.
Pakistani authorities proclaimed a national emergency while urging the international community for help after monsoon rains and floods affected more than 33 million people in recent weeks and took the death toll to 1,191 since the beginning of the season in June.
WHO said in a recent situation report heavy rains had affected 116 out of 154 districts in the country.
“As of 25 August 2022, 33+ million people have been affected,” WHO said. “6.4+ million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including 421,000 refugees. Over a thousand lives have been lost and almost 15000 people injured.”
The international health agency said health facilities had been severely affected in Pakistan by torrential rains and floods.
“As of 28 August 2022, 888 health facilities have been damaged in the country of which 180 of them are completely damaged,” it said, adding that access to health care workers and essential medicines constituted the main challenges.
WHO said Pakistan’s health system was already battling multiple concurrent health threats including COVID 19, and outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, measles, leishmaniasis and HIV.
“Even before the current floods, there was significant disparity in access to health services between rural and urban areas. The current situation will highly likely increase the spread of disease especially if/when response capacities are hindered,” the statement noted.
Unable to deal with unprecedented floods, Pakistan sought international assistance and received humanitarian aid from several countries.
The United Nations and Pakistan also issued a flash appeal on Tuesday for $160 million to help the South Asian state deal with catastrophic floods that have displaced a large number of people and destroyed livelihoods.
International aid for flood-affected people in Pakistan scaled-up this week as more planes loaded with humanitarian assistance arrived from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China and Turkey this week.
Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Wednesday he was satisfied by the international response to the devastation caused by the monsoon season.