Southern areas under water; dengue fever hits Punjab; crops, livestock wiped out

 

PINGRIO, Pakistan — Pakistani soldiers in inflatable rescue boats peered across kilometers of flooded farmland and spotted a man wading through waist-deep water desperate to move his goat to high ground.

For the past two weeks, Kaywall has spent 12 hours a day moving his family’s livestock from his inundated village to the small town of Pingrio in Sindh province in the south.

The goats are the only thing he has managed to save from raging waters which swept away his house and belongings.

Like many other flood victims, he awaits help from Pakistan’s cash-strapped government.

“My house was completely destroyed,” said the construction worker, whose family is stranded. “The government has not done anything for us. They are not around.”

The scene, being played out in many parts of Sindh, was a troubling reminder of floods that ravaged much of Pakistan in late July and August last year.

Pakistan’s civilian leaders were slow to respond, leaving the far more decisive military to take charge of rescue and relief efforts, along with international aid agencies.

This year, floods have destroyed or damaged 1.2 million houses and flooded 4.5 million acres since late last month, officials and Western aid groups say.

More than 300,000 people were made homeless. And an outbreak of dengue fever in central Punjab province has killed at least eight people and forced a provincial government to close schools for 10 days.

Frustrations with the government are running high. On Wednesday, 80 men blocked the main road to Hyderabad, the biggest city near the flooded areas. They are demanding help from the authorities.

Read full article at:  Pakistan flooding: Misery, disease, little aid to victims

UBlogger
Latest posts by UBlogger (see all)

About The Author

UBlogger

This blog and my writing skills dedicated to all youth of Pakistan. To improve their national awareness to build Pakistan.

See author's posts