There seems to be no end to Sindh’s problems where floodwaters have drowned entire villages as the province deals with an outbreak of malaria and dengue, with eleven children among the 14 latest deaths reported from across the province.
In Kandhkot, at least five children died due to gastroentritis and malaria. Lack of access to clean drinking water and stagnant water around tents and make-shift bastis (tent cities) for flood refugees being breeding ground for mosquitoes are among the reasons for the outbreak. Three children died due to gastroentritist in Khairpur and three in Sehwan. Reportedly, one girl died of hunger in Sehwan.
Meanwhile, two people died of malaria in Jacobabad while another adult died of dengue in Sukkur.
In Kandhkot, the death of five children due to gastroenteritis and malaria in Tangwani and Badani areas has taken the total number of deaths among children due to various diseases to 30 in the last one month.
In Khairpur, three more deaths have taken the number of children to die of water-borne diseases to more than 250.
A similar situation is developing at refugee camps in Qambar-Shahdadkot, where children are under treatment for skin-related issues.
In Sanghar, an influx of mosquitoes is not affecting people but also cattle.
In Sukkur, one person died of dengue, while hundreds of cases of gastroentritis have been reporte.
In Jacobabad’s Thal sub-district, a four-year-old child died of malaria and a 40-year-old woman died of malaria in the Gharia Khairu sub-district.
In Sehwan, the hometown of the Sindh chief minister, three children died due to the gastro outbreak, while a seven-year-old girl died, reportedly of hunger, in a camp for flood refugees.