Severe dengue emergency has gripped Pakistan, particularly Karachi: Sherry Rehman

• Sherry Rehman warns more rains could be detrimental to rehabilitation process in flood-hit areas.
• Says hundreds of dengue patients are being admitted to Karachi hospitals on daily basis.
• Says food insecurity another impending crisis created due to floods.

Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman has indicated at least a 50% surge in the cases of dengue fever after the recent monsoon rains in the country, especially in Karachi where hundreds of dengue patients are being admitted to hospitals on a daily basis.

The minister warned that more expected rains could be detrimental to the relief and rehabilitation process going on in the flood-hit areas.

Rehman expressed these views at a press conference in Islamabad, where she also spoke about the worsening situation in Sindh due to outbreak of water and vector-borne diseases.

Speaking of the flood situation at rivers, she said that the Indus River at the Kotri Barrage was at high flood level with an inflow of more than 600,000 cusecs of water, posing a serious threat to the surrounding areas.

“It is unfortunate that all over social media and other public platforms, the opposition is actively exhorting all international supporters to not give aid or support via anyone but their own PTI sources. Such active promotion of public disunity in Pakistan’s worse hour of crisis is a shocking expose of the thinking behind the divisive politics being promoted," she deplored.

Discussing the looming health crisis in the flooded areas, the climate change minister said floods had brought the menace of water and vector-borne diseases such as dengue and cholera.

“Karachi is seeing an outbreak of dengue while 584,246 people are in camps throughout the country; a health crisis could wreak havoc if it goes unchecked,” she said. Referring to a recent statement by Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah, she said clearing the water in Sindh might take three to six months, adding that the Manchar Lake had been overflowing since early September, causing inundation of several hundred villages where more than 100,000 people were affected and had been asked to evacuate.

“We are expediting our efforts to provide medicines and medics to the 81 calamity-hit districts. However, these are still very initial estimates as new data is coming forth,” she added.

Regarding food security, the senator said it was another impending crisis created due to the floods, adding that 70% of the onion crops along with rice and maize had been completely destroyed.

“Nearly 2 million acres of crops and orchards have been hit, according to the United Nations. Right now, urgent relief in the form of food, tents and medicines is being provided by NDMA and PDMAs but we need more resources to meet the needs on the ground,” she said.

“The death toll has reached 1,422 in number,” she lamented, adding that Sindh witnessed the highest number of deaths at 594 in total and had a huge population in camps. Highlighting the economic losses due to the floods, Rehman maintained that Pakistan had incurred a severe agricultural loss, and damage to infrastructure, including to 6,579km of roads, 246 bridges and railway infrastructure.

“Around 485,922 houses have been completely damaged in Sindh, the highest number of houses damaged in any province. Estimates will all have to be revised when the actual scale of the damage is clear. The looming threat of flood down the Kotri Barrage is still at large. The monsoon has been forecast to stretch into September in Sindh. That could pose a huge challenge in the existing crisis. We are faced with a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions," she remarked.

Appreciating the visit of the UN secretary general to Pakistan, she said Pakistan had appreciated his visit with an unequivocal plea for humanitarian assistance. “We, meanwhile, welcome all support for the destitute and homeless victims of this flood, irrespective of cast, colour or political creed. Every Pakistani in need has a right to assistance. We will never stand in the way of that, for burnishing our own political brand," the senator said.