Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said yesterday 20 million people had been affected by the worst floods in the country’s history as the UN confirmed the first cholera case.
Independence Day celebrations were cancelled as floods continued to bring misery to millions and aid agencies warned of a “second wave” of deaths from disease.
“The floods affected some 20 million people, destroyed standing crops and food storages worth billions of dollars, causing colossal loss to national economy,” Gilani said in a televised address to the nation. “I would appeal to the world community to extend a helping hand to fight this calamity.”
PHOTO: AFP
The UN has appealed for US$460 million to deal with the immediate aftermath of the floods, but charities say the figure falls far short of what is needed.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was due to arrive in Pakistan later yesterday to discuss the relief effort and visit flood-hit areas.
“This is the worst-ever calamity for us and the entire nation will have to show courage to face it,” Gilani said. “I am pretty confidant that the nation will once again emerge victorious from this crisis.”
“Outbreak of epidemics in the flood-hit areas is a serious threat, which can further compound the already grave situation,” Gilani added, as the UN authorities confirmed the first cholera case.
“There has been at least one cholera confirmed case in Mingora,” Maurizio Giuliano, spokesman for the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters, referring to the main town in the northwestern district of Swat.
Giuliano said at least 36,000 people were reportedly suffering from acute watery diarrhea.
“We’re not suggesting that everyone who has acute watery diarrhea has cholera, but cholera is certainly a concern and that’s why we’re stepping up our efforts to treat cholera,” he said.
Charities said relief for those affected by the worst natural disaster in Pakistan’s history was lagging far behind what was needed.
“There are millions of people needing food, clean water and medical care and they need it right now,” said Jacques de Maio, head of operations for South Asia at the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“Clearly at this point in time, the overall relief effort cannot keep pace with the overall scale of the emergency,” he said.
Humanitarian agencies in Pakistan were monitoring the risk of “a second wave of deaths induced by the floods in the shape of waterborne diseases”, de Maio said, adding that it was impossible to measure the full scale of the disaster.
Celebrations marking the anniversary yesterday of Pakistan’s 1947 independence from British colonial rule have been scrapped by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, his spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, announced.
The embattled leader has come under fire from flood victims and the opposition after pressing on with a trip to Europe last week, despite the mounting emergency.
Zardari arrived in Nowshera yesterday to visit flood-hit areas and attend a briefing on destruction caused by the floods and measures being taken by authorities to provide relief, Babar said.
“The best way to celebrate this day is to reach out to the victims of the natural disaster, heal their wounds and help them to help themselves,” Zardari said in his Independence Day message. “I salute the courage and heroism of flood victims and assure them that the government will do everything possible to alleviate their suffering.”
The UN believes 1,600 people have died in the disaster, while Islamabad has confirmed 1,343 deaths.
UN officials warn that the damage to infrastructure and the economy will put volatile Pakistan back years.
With up to 2 million people requiring emergency shelter and 6 million depending on humanitarian assistance to survive, troops distributed national flags among the people in the flood-hit northwestern town of Nowshera.
“We lost our houses and everything in the floods. We urgently need food and medicines, not flags,” 80-year-old Rasul Khan told reporters.
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