Y
Yuan Shao
Guest
Aug 16, 2010
Pakistan's 'doomed orphans'
<!-- by line --> <!-- end by line -->
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon talks to children at a camp during his visit to flood affected areas in Muzaffargarh, in central Pakistan. -- PHOTO: AP
NOWSHEHRA (PAKISTAN) - SIX million children are suffering from Pakistan's devastating floods: lost, orphaned or stricken with diarrhoea, they are the most vulnerable victims of the nation's worst-ever natural disaster. At relief camps in government schools and colleges and in tent villages on the edge of towns and by roadways, children are prostate from the heat, sick from poor drinking water, or simply trying to find work.
'These are the most bitter days of my life,' said Iltaz Begum, 15, suffering from diarrhoea and stretched out in a government tent on the muddy outskirts of the north-western town of Nowshehra. 'The weather has made our lives miserable. I had to leave my blind mother behind and there's no one to look after her as my father died two years ago.' The tent village has no electricity.
The rains have gone, but only to be replaced by heat and humidity. Flies buzz everywhere and the smell of faeces wafts through the camp. Girls like Iltaz are just a drop in the ocean for the massive relief effort that the international community is trying to mobilise in one of the biggest ever UN aid operations. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said millions had lost their livelihoods as he visited Pakistan on Sunday and witnessed 'heart wrenching' scenes of destruction.
Pakistan says 20 million people have been hit by the floods. 'Many have lost families and friends. Many more are afraid their children and loved ones will not survive in these conditions,' said Mr Ban. Sami Abdul Malik, spokesman for the UN children's fund Unicef, said six million children were affected by the floods. The fund is distributing high-energy biscuits to stave off malnutrition and other diseases. -- AFP
