As flashfloods and rains unfurl misery for the dwellers of low-lying areas in Balochistan, Sindh and southern Punjab, scarcity of relief aid and epidemics further multiply their plight.
Rescue workers recovered six dead bodies on Tuesday from Rabi Canal in Naseerabad, where water started to recede and the situation in the area is likely to improve if there are no further rains and floods.
The situation in Jaffarabad has been described as “desperate”, as flood water has inundated all agricultural land, streets and roads, and the local people have a very limited number of dry places to take refuge. Many districts of southern Punjab, including Rajanpur, were adversely affected as heavy rains flooded the local streams and nullahs, besides inundating residential areas and destroying thousands of acres of cultivated land. The flood-affected areas are still disconnected from the rest of the country, and relief efforts could not be initiated due to lack of access. In some areas, the stranded population is struggling on self-help basis to move to safer places. In the Sandela area of Shah Jamal, a breach in Saim Canal caused a flood in the residential areas, where several houses collapsed due to water.
The acute shortage of food and clean drinking water forced several people to consume rotten food and polluted flood water, which has triggered several epidemics such as diarrhea and gastroenteritis. According to reports, the federal and provincial governments have been unable to reach to all flood-affected people despite commitments.
