The UN has issued a warning on Monday that up to 3.5 million children are at high risk from deadly water-borne diseases, including diarrhoea-related, such as watery diarrhoea and dysentery, in Pakistan's flood-affected areas. Unhygienic conditions and the restricted access to clean water and basic health care services are making living conditions complicated. According to the same source, the number of victims at risk could go up to six million. WHO (World Health Organisation) and Doctors without Borders, an independent worldwide organization, has expressed similar concerns over this issue.
After visiting Pakistan, the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon stated that the flood disaster is the worst he has ever seen, and the magnitude of destruction is much larger than that caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2005 Pakistani earthquake. The catastrophe has affected more than 20 million people all over the country. According to Yahoo news, one-fifth of Pakistan is still under water after three weeks of devastating flooding.
Despite the UN initial appeals to help victims of the disaster, the world is still very slow in responding and appears largely unmoved by the plight of Pakistan. This slow response against this disaster is aggravating the situation in flood-affected areas. This petition urges the UN and the donor countries to, please, take urgent actions to help save the 3.5 million children at risk. Please act now, and sign this petition.
