DADU: Internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in a tent city established in Mehar town of Dadu district came out of their shelters and blocked the Mehar-Larkana section of highway in protest against death of a man and a 10-year-old girl in the settlement.

They claimed they were starved to death as proper and adequate food and safe water were not being provided to them. However, officials attributed both deaths to different diseases.

The protesters placed the bodies of Ali Sher Solangi, 55, and 10-year-old Saima Sikandar Solangi in the middle of the road and raised slogans against the provincial government and local administration. Vehicular traffic on the road remained suspended for about five hours.

They claimed that food and other supplies to the tent city, run jointly by the provincial government and an NGO, were irregular and inadequate which resulted in the deaths.

They demanded Dadu deputy commissioner and Mehar assistant commissioner to come over and assure them of remedial measures.

However, SHO Shafiq Abro of the Mehar police station engaged them in negotiations and finally persuaded them to clear the road.

Speaking to this reporter, Mehar AC Mohsin Shaikh said that adequate and proper food was being supplied to the tent city on a regular basis and such record was being maintained. He rejected the claim that any of the two deaths were caused by hunger.

Health department’s focal person on flood emergency at Mehar taluka Dr Imamuddin Khoso said that Ali Sher Khoso died of hepatitis and had been under treatment at a private clinic for some time. About the girl’s death, he said she had arrived in the tent city from Sehwan only a day before. Saima Solangi was already suffering from malnutrition and gastroenteritis which led to her death, he explained.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2022