What relief?: Death toll reaches 117 as six more children die in Thar

"The govt wants people to believe that by distributing a 50kg bag of wheat, it can address prevailing malnutrition."

HYDERABAD:

Six more children reportedly died in Tharparkar on Thursday. With these latest casualties, the death toll has risen to 117 in the 25 days of December.

Four infants, including a newborn son of Noor Mohammed, in Civil Hospital, Mithi, Ali Mohammad Nohrio's newborn son in village Joruwo, a 10-day old infant, Shahnawaz, son of Abdullah Khokhar and three-week-old Ameena, daughter of Mohammad Raheem, died in Mithi.

A newborn son of Muhabbat Nohrio was also reported to have died in Diplo's village Soomaranharh. Meanwhile, a one and a half year-old-child, Abid, son of Naimatullah Sahirh, died on the way to Hyderabad's Civil Hospital after being referred from Civil Hospital, Mithi.

Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid leader Haleem Adil Shaikh, who continued relief distribution for the second day through his Pakistan Relief Foundation, alleged that the state of affairs in Tharparkar remained the same. "The poor people living in remote villages still don't have access to timely healthcare for their malnourished children. The government wants the people to believe that by distributing a 50kg bag of wheat, it can address the prevailing malnutrition."

He went on to claim that majority of Thar's residents were not even getting the wheat as the distribution remained limited to certain areas near the taluka headquarters.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2014.