In flooded Pakistan, tens of thousands of people fell ill with malaria and dengue fever

(ORDO NEWS) — According to the UN, the number of victims of the strongest flood in the country in southern Asia has exceeded 1.5 thousand people.

In Pakistan, after a catastrophic flood, tens of thousands of people became infected with infectious diseases transmitted through water.

The most vulnerable to disease were women and children, according to Reuters, citing data from the Pakistani government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

As the floodwaters recede, malaria, dengue fever, diarrhea and skin diseases began to spread in the affected areas.

More than 90,000 people sought medical help in southern Sindh province alone, according to a government report.

The report lists 588 confirmed cases of malaria, about 18,000 patients with diarrhea and more than 20,000 people with skin lesions.

Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, said children in the affected areas are massively malnourished and suffer from various diseases up to dengue fever.

A total of 2.3 million patients have been treated in field and mobile hospitals set up in the flooded area since July 1.

The National Disaster Management Authority reported 1,508 deaths, including 536 children and 308 women.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees are in dire need of food, shelter, clean drinking water, sanitation and medicine. Many are forced to sleep outside.

Record monsoon rains in south and southwest Pakistan and melting glaciers in northern areas have caused flooding that has affected nearly 33 million people in the South Asian nation of 220 million, washing away homes, crops, bridges, roads and livestock. The damage is estimated at $30 billion.

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