Pakistan in 'second phase' of dealing with flood aftermath: NFRCC

Health ministry directed to focus on numerous health challenges in the affected areas

ISLAMABAD:

The National Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC) said on Monday that the country has entered the second phase of rehabilitation after the devastating flood that inundated large swathes of the country. 

In a session chaired by NFRCC Deputy Chairperson Ahsan Iqbal and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief Lieutenant General Akhtar Nawaz, the forum was apprised about the relief and rescue operations currently underway in the worst-hit areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

While no deaths were reported due to flood-related incidents across the country, the health ministry was directed to focus on numerous health challenges post-floods including dengue and water-borne diseases. 

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The deputy chairperson asked to focus on malnutrition of children and lactating mothers in the impacted areas, while also stressing the need to control epidemic diseases such as malaria and dengue, which have seen a significant increase in reporting. 

Moreover, the forum was also informed of planned international flights coming in with relief goods, including donations by United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as well as trains from Turkey.

The forum was told that out of the nine trains that have thus far reached, relief goods from six have been distributed while three will be unloaded on Monday.

Construction of flood-resilient shelter homes was also discussed during the session as the proposed model village example gave a comprehensive plan of the structures that provided many families with shelter during the 2010 flooding.

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During the session, the panel also overviewed the problems caused by a shortage of funds and the cost of logistics for rehabilitation and settlement of affectees.

The forum was also informed that a flood dashboard will be formally launched in the Prime Minister’s Office where PM Shehbaz Sharif will announce the operational functioning of the dashboard, which will entail all necessary flood-related details.