he flood this year has brought a devastation of epic proportions to Sindh. As many as 5.8 million people have been directly affected. Crops on 2.85 million acres have been affected.

In Umerkot and Sanghar districts, many mud houses have been damaged. The intensity of rains this year and its impact have been more devastating than all previous monsoons in 40 years. 26 Sindh districts have been affected.

Villagers forced to move away from submerged farms and houses have been stranded on roads with their children and cattle, seeking shelter, or some semblance of it, wherever they can. Many have yet to be provided tents and safe drinking water.

In Umerkot district, 76,398 families have been affected in the recent floods. 4,923 of the affected people have been accommodated in 32 relief camps set up by the government. The relief provided is no match for the devastation and the number of people affected by it.

Many villages have been submerged in flood and rescue is under way. Torrential rains have affected many rural areas as well as some urban slums. Mosquitoes are everywhere and giving everybody sleepless nights.

Given the flood risk the villagers have driven the livestock off the streets. With fodder crops destroyed, the availability of dairy products has been impacted drastically.

Following a dam breach, people have been asked to evacuate parts of Dadu. The villagers are worried since there aren’t many safe places for them to go to. Badin and other areas on the costal belt are also seen as high risk.

According to the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) a majority of the areas next to the barrage have been inundated. The partially damaged houses are considered unsafe. Stagnant water has led to an increase in mosquitoes’ populations in the area and there is a risk of outbreak of diseases like malaria and diarrhoea. The quality of drinking water has also changed.

In Umerkot, local NGOs are providing food and helping with health and hygiene at the relief camps.

Community leaders including Pir Pagara have joined hands to help out the flood affected population. In upper Sindh, some Hindu philanthropists are providing cooked meals for those in need.

The National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities are also providing relief through the district administration. However, the devastation appears to be beyond their capacity.

The writer has more than 12 years of experience in the development sector. He can be reached at shewaram@live.com