Monsoon rains claim over 200 lives
The UN estimates that the torrential monsoon rains last week have affected over five million people in Pakistan. The death toll is over 200, and a million homes have been destroyed.
Munazza Gillani in our Pakistan office explains how it is affecting Sightsavers’ work:
“Flooding has mainly affected the Sindh province and Balochistan. Fortunately all our partners are safe, and Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital and Civil Hospital Karachi are busy with relief activities in the districts of Badin and Kandiaro with the support of CBM and CHEF International.
However, because it is impossible to travel to certain parts of Sindh, we have had to postpone the training of Lady Health Workers (a female network of health workers who travel from home to home treating and referring patients). The Ministry of Health has requested that the Lady Health Workers are involved in awareness raising about precautionary measures to prevent dengue fever. Over 4,000 people in Pakistan's Punjab Province have contracted dengue fever, and more than 150 people have died. Authorities struggle to prevent the disease from spreading, so we’re desperate to start their training as soon as possible
Due to the dengue virus, the Government closed all schools and universities in Punjab Province for 10 days as a precautionary measure. This means we haven’t been able to carry out the training of teachers to check for sight problems in Punjab schools.
The flooding has also affected out trachoma survey activities in Sindh districts, particularly Badin, as survey teams are unable to travel there.”
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