Pakistan flood-borne diseases could get 'out of control' as deaths rise
Agencies | Islamabad
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
At least nine more people have died from water-borne diseases in flood-hit areas of Pakistan, officials said on Tuesday, as actress Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to the South Asian nation to meet people affected by the crisis.
An intense and long monsoon dumped around three times as much rain on Pakistan than on average in recent weeks, causing major flooding that killed 1,559 people, including 551 children and 318 women, according to the disaster management agency, Reuters reported.
Officials are warning they now risk losing control of the spread of infections in a dire situation that UNICEF described as "beyond bleak".
Hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the floods are living in the open and as flood waters spread over hundreds of kilometres (miles) start to recede - which officials say may take two to six months - stagnant waters have led to diseases like malaria, dengue fever, skin and eye infections and acute diarrhoea.
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