Islamabad - The lives of millions of Pakistan's flood victims have been threatened by the outbreak epidemic diseases resulting from the worst floods in the country's history.
At least 29 people died from gastroenteritis on Tuesday and 50 others were in critical condition as thousands of affected people were hospitalised across the country, according to local media.
On Monday, the waterborne gastroenteritis killed 15 people.
The epidemic is spreading rapidly through contaminated flood water, affecting mostly children women and old people.
The United Nations fears 3.5 million children will be affected by various waterborne diseases in Pakistan.
Pakistan's Health Ministry has sent a red alert to the World Health Organization (WHO) for starting emergency treatment against the diseases which are spreading faster along the flowing polluted water which is mixing tap and well water with sewerage and other contamination.
It has estimated that some 36 000 people have been affected by the breakout of cholera alone in Pakistan.
The WHO is preparing a contingency plan to assist Pakistan to prevent major outbreak of a wide range of epidemics, according to UNICEF. WHO projects that up to 1.5 million cases of stomach diseases, including up to 140 000 of cholera, 150 000 cases of measles, 350 000 cases of acute respiratory infections and up to 100 000 cases of malaria can occur over the next three months.
UNICEF said it planned to provide clean water to six million people in Pakistan's flood-stricken area as preventive to the challenge posed by the waterborne diseases.
The head of water, sanitation and hygiene for UNICEF in Islamabad, Omar El-Hattab, said that assistance has been reaching one million people per day. "But more funds are urgently required in order to reach all those in need," he added.
The UN, the International Red Cross and other relief organisations have noticed the sluggish pace of international aid release, which, according to analysts, was probably due to ineffective usage of funds in some previous disasters such as the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
According to local media reports, despite consistent rescue operations and relief activities, 5 million of the 20 million flood-affected people are still need to be reached properly while the high-level floods would continue to flow with full intensity for the next four days.
Over two weeks of heavy rains and floods have so far killed 1 600 people, displaced 20 million people and destroyed some 900 000 homes across the country, official sources said.
Pakistani Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told a news conference in the capital city on Monday that the registration of flood affected people was in progress.
The rescue operations would be accomplished by the end of October whereas damage estimation would be done by the end of November. The UN believes rehabilitation and reconstruction will take at least five years.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who visited Pakistan on Sunday, has appealed to the world to contribute $460 million. The World Bank has pledged a $900 million loan to Pakistan.
