Eight million people need medical attention, Cairo-based WHO regional emergency director Rick Brennan said via video link to journalists in Geneva on Tuesday. So far, the WHO has received less than ten percent of the $81 million (€81.5 million) it needs for the emergency surgery. The entire United Nations emergency aid plan for Pakistan, worth 816 million euros, has so far only been covered at 16 percent.
According to official figures, 1,600 people have died in the floods in the South Asian country of more than 225 million inhabitants. Millions of people were made homeless and countless bridges, roads, houses, fields, clinics and hospitals were destroyed or damaged.
As the water level dropped, Brennan said they left endless breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and measles are spreading. Because clean drinking water is not available in many places and the waste water is not properly drained, there is a risk of more diarrheal diseases. 540,000 cases of malaria were reported from July to early October. Thousands of infected people could die without adequate treatment.
The number of acutely malnourished children is increasing rapidly. It is still unclear how the next harvest will go due to the flooding. This week, the government in Russia ordered more than 300,000 tons of wheat to avert an impending hunger crisis.
(SDA)
Source: Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
