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In the dystopian hellscape that is Pakistan, new misery comes in the form of diarrhea [1]
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Date: 2022-09-02
“Of the 33 million people affected due to monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan, it is estimated that around five million people, including children, would get sick due to the outbreak of water-borne and vector-borne diseases in the next four to 12 weeks. Islamabad Dr. Shahzad Ali
Brown-skinned people in Pakistan are suffering and dying from waterborne and vector-borne diseases from the utter devastation of monsoons on steroids submerging massive swathes of the poverty-stricken nation under water due to climate change.
The record-breaking flooding has decimated the lives of tens of millions of people. It will only get worse. I mention brown-skinned, predominately Muslim people because that is why the western press ignores their moment of peril. There have been a few diaries on the disaster at Daily Kos. If one does make the recommended list, it hovers at the bottom of the list. The cynic in me believes that the corporate powers and the media they own hold back on reporting the global south climate impacts because it is climate breakdown at its most fearsome. It’s challenging to continue exploiting them if our sins of devouring fossil fuels are revealed as the reason they suffer and die. So many don’t care, and I cannot make them.
For those just now learning about the crisis, south Asia has been suffering from extreme temperatures and drought for several months. Fresh water that is safe to drink is in short supply, and food is in short supply. Many have died from these impacts.
But the horror has only begun as people contract an intestinal disease, cholera, and even polio.
The Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the situation the highest emergency.
From Ecowatch:
The flooding has caused damage to more than 880 health facilities throughout Pakistan, leaving millions without medical treatment. More than 161,000 of those who have been displaced due to the floods are living in relief camps, the UN said. “Families are now living on the banks of overflowed canals and rivers in ramshackle huts made of bamboo and plastic. They have even been drinking flood water because there is no other option – a recipe for large-scale disease outbreaks. We are doing all we can to reach them,” said Director of WaterAid Pakistan Arif Jabbar Khan, as The Guardian reported. Waterborne diseases are being seen across Pakistan, said authorities, reported PBS NewsHour. “Initially we received injured people, but now diarrhea is common,” said Farhad Khan, a physician running a medical camp in Charsadda, as PBS NewsHour reported. About 650,000 women who are in areas affected by the flooding need maternal health care, the UN Population Fund said, according to PBS NewsHour. “Up to 73,000 women expected to deliver next month will need skilled birth attendants, newborn care, and support,” the UN Population Fund said in a statement, as reported by PBS NewsHour. Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic and monitoring for it and other transmissible diseases is being increased. Pakistan’s government has declared a state of emergency and Ghebreyesus has released $10 million in aid from WHO, the UN press release said. The UN has also launched an international appeal for $160 million to help the flood-ravaged country.
x .@WHO has classified the flooding in #Pakistan as the highest level of emergency & released $10 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) to treat the injured, deliver health supplies & prevent outbreaks. We thank our CFE donors for enabling us to respond rapidly.
https://t.co/E5Kt78hUcd pic.twitter.com/ZdEhoSpV1g — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 31, 2022
The Guardian reports that world organizations are trying hard to stop disease outbreaks.
The UN and Pakistan have asked for $160m to provide emergency support to 5 million people, including food, water, sanitation and shelter. The WHO said it was working with the Pakistani government to respond to outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera and other diseases. It said the floods had compounded existing problems with malaria and dengue fever. It also warned of the impact of the floods on tackling other diseases, such as measles and polio. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where polio is still endemic.
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