Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, has said that there is a strong possibility of a disease outbreak in the flood-affected areas of Pakistan in the next four to six weeks.
The Minister, while addressing a press conference, said that Pakistan is going to appeal to the international community together with the United Nations today to provide support to the country during these testing times.
The Minister said that 1,150 deaths have occurred so far as a result of ongoing floods. More than 1 million homes have been destroyed, while 30 million people have been directly or indirectly affected, causing a loss of more than $10 billion to Pakistan, he added.
The Minister highlighted that Pakistan is facing a serious food security challenge, as the cotton, rice crop and date plantations have been destroyed in Sindh and Balochistan, causing a major loss to the agricultural economy of both provinces. He added that the government is actively looking to arrange the replacement of essential commodities, including tomatoes and onions.
Ahsan Iqbal, while urging the business community and overseas Pakistanis to donate to flood victims, said that government would spend maximum development funds for the betterment of flood victims.
