ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea in Muzaffarabad and other quake-hit areas, and underlined the need to scale up efforts to provide safe water and sanitation in the self-settled camps, says a statement issued here on Wednesday.

WHO country representative, Dr Khalif Bile said, “although the laboratory diagnosis is not yet confirmed, (however) the cases of acute watery diarrhoea should be taken extremely seriously. Prompt treatment by dehydration is essential and we continue to monitor the situation.”

He said diarrhoeal diseases are caused by bacteria getting into the potable water supply system, much of which has been damaged or destroyed in the quake zone.

The statement said with the establishment of self-settled camps by homeless communities, people are living in crowded conditions, with an unsafe water supply and poor sanitation facilities. With insufficient latrines being dug, there is no provision for those affected by acute watery diarrhoea to use separate latrines. This results in further contamination of the drinking water supply.

Humanitarian communities have been focusing on supporting better-managed camps, particularly in terms of providing safe water supply and sanitation facilities according to the international guidelines, it further said.

It said the camp management cluster, led by UNHCR, is currently providing technical support to 18 planned camps established by the government of Pakistan, where around 10,000 people are now living. A key priority by the end of November is also to improve the sanitation, water supply and health care conditions in the self-settled camps.