DADU: Twelve more flood victims died of gastroenteritis and malaria within a day in different areas of Dadu and Kandhkot-Kashmore districts on Monday.

The two diseases have so far proved to be the major cause behind most of the deaths among internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in squalid conditions at relief camps and flooded localities.

Sources said that two flood victims identified as Akbar Solangi and Imtiaz Qambrani died of gastroenteritis and malaria at Sita village near Mehar town.

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Three-year-old Misri Khoso died at a tent city for IDPs in Shafi Mohammad Colony and 10-year-old Rahim Chandio died at a camp near the bypass in Mehar town.

A local artist Shah Rukh Khan and a businessman Atta Mohammad Chandio died of gastroenteritis and malaria in Mehar and two women Amanat Jamali and Budhi Jamali died of malaria in Bukhar Jamali village near Wahi Pandhi town.

The sources said that the death toll from the two diseases in K.N. Shah and its adjoining area had reached eight over the past five days and in Mehar taluka the number of deaths had risen to 20 over the past 30 days.

Dadu DHO Dr Ahmed Ali Samejo said that six teams of the health department and PPHI were working in Mehar and 16 other parts of the district. The teams had treated a total of 135,000 patients over the last 19 days, he said.

The district administration officials said that a total of 80 people including 39 children died in the district during heavy rains and floods from diseases and inundation.

Dadu deputy commissioner said in his report submitted to the Sindh government that the people had died in an outbreak of diseases and collapse of houses. A total of 75,670 houses including 27,788 cemented structures collapsed and crops standing on 97,330 acres were washed away in the heavy rain and subsequent flood, said the report.

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It said that floodwaters coming from Balochistan and the Indus River directly affected 849,380 people, including 172,799 families and 453,163 children.

In Kandhkot-Kashmore district, two-year-old Sardari Jafferi and three-year-old Niaz Jamal Jafferi died of gastroenteritis in Saleem Jafferi village while three-year-old Azizullah Bakhrani died of the same disease in Yacoub village on Monday.

The villagers complained that many children were suffering from gastro and malaria which had broken out in the wake of torrential rain but no medical team had so far visited their areas to treat the ailing children.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2022