Flood waters are creating a risk of diarrhoeal disease.
We could see a lot from the air and the population is in a very desperate situation. At least a third of the two districts I visited have been flooded.
We saw houses that were literally swimming in the midst of muddy water, while some walls of buildings had crumbled and fallen. The roads were covered with water and cars were unable to move. Crops had been washed away and destroyed, or were completely under water. Trees were pushed down by the strength of the water.
There were people trying to save their lives by climbing trees or roofs of buildings. I heard extremely sad stories of people whose relatives had died and there is no possibility of burying them in the midst of this flood. They had to take their remains up into trees and tie them to the trees to hold them there until they can be buried.
It is a very difficult situation to assess in detail because bridges, roads, even main highways are blocked or broken, and there are many places that are not accessible on the ground. But there are going to be great needs in terms of water, sanitation, shelter, assuring the healthcare of the population because of water-borne diseases, and food security.
UNICEF’s main focus right now is to limit the spread of diarrhoeal disease as much as possible, because diarrhoea in young children contributes to dehydration and mortality. To do this we need to make sure that the population only drinks clean water. But this is very difficult because hundreds of thousands of people are surrounded only by dirty, muddy water and all their water systems have been damaged or polluted by the flood waters.
UNICEF is working with the Pakistani authorities to repair tube-wells and drinking water systems as quickly as possible. To date, 73 tube-wells have been repaired, benefitting 800,000 people. We are also providing emergency clean drinking water, water purification tablets, and hygiene kits. UNICEF is supporting 24 medical camps in affected areas that will help up to one million people, as well as providing high-energy biscuits for thousands of children.
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Children most vulnerable in wake of Pakistan flood disaster
Dr. Mohammad Rafiq, UNICEF Pakistan
For children this was truly terrifying. They were grabbed out of their beds by parents in the middle of the night and had to run to safe ground as water poured into their houses. The only warning they had was from local Mosques telling them to leave. They ran without their shoes and without their belongings.
I met a father and son who had to flee their home when the flood waters arrived. A few days later they returned to find their house completely destroyed. When I met them, they were desperately trying to find any of their belongings in the mud. This was devastating to see.
Children are the most vulnerable people affected by this flood. They also face a great threat from hunger and diseases like cholera and scabies.
There is no mobile phone reception anymore so I go on the local radio twice a day to tell people about how to protect themselves from disease. I tell them that if they have a water tank on the third floor or higher they should treat this as the most precious thing in the world and only drink it. If people do not have this then they can collect rainwater. If they have to drink floodwater they should use pure sachets, or water purifying tablets if possible. As a last resort they can filter the water from a clean cloth two to three times and then put in sunlight for a couple of hours. This is really for when all other options are exhausted.
Our biggest concern, though, is the places we have not been able to reach yet. Roads have been destroyed and bridges washed away, which makes our work even more difficult. We have not seen an epidemic of any disease yet, but God forbid that there is one somewhere we have not been able to reach yet.
Since the flood, food prices have already begun to rise and we know it is important to get food to people who need it. UNICEF already had stockpiles of high-nutrition biscuits in Pakistan and we have distributed these to 4,000 children.
I worry about the future for the 1.4 million children affected by this flood. Once the waters subside and people find shelter, there will still be no schools and many, many children will face losing their education. We will feel the effects of this disaster for years to come.
How you can help
Donate to UNICEF NZ’s Pakistan Emergency Appeal
Dr Mohammad Rafiq is UNICEF Pakistan’s Officer in Charge, Khyber Provincial Office.
The recent floods in Pakistan have been the worst I have ever seen in my 53 years. When I was young we heard from our elders that there were great floods in 1929, but we currently think that these are twice as bad. Nobody has any memory of a worse disaster.