The village of Bhambro, in a poor district of Sindh province, was badly affected by floods caused by monsoon rains, which destroyed or seriously damaged more than a million homes and essential infrastructure, including including sanitary facilities.

The locality is surrounded by completely flooded agricultural land.

Its streets are themselves under water, muddy and filled with organic waste and various debris.

Conditions favorable to the proliferation of epidemics of malaria, cholera, or skin diseases such as scabies.

"Skin diseases are the main problem here, because of stagnant water and lack of hygiene," said Sajjad Memon, one of the doctors at the clinic, run by the Alkhidmat Foundation, on Tuesday.

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He uses his cell phone's flashlight to examine the patients, almost all of whom exhibit scabs or rashes.

Many reached the clinic walking barefoot through dirty water.

"One of my child's feet is very sore. Mine are too," said 23-year-old Azra Bhambro, who came for help.

Limited sanitary services

Abdul Aziz, a doctor in charge of Alkhidmat clinics in the region, told AFP that scabies and fungal infections were on the rise.

Scabies most often appears in countries with a hot and tropical climate, especially in places where promiscuity and precariousness coexist, and leads to intense itching, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

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According to Memon, many of the clinic's patients simply cannot afford shoes.

Millions of flood-affected people are at health risk and threatened by the spread of water-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, the WHO warned in a statement released on Tuesday.

The province of Sind is one of the most affected by the floods and many villagers have had to leave their land to try to reach the cities, in order to find shelter, food, drinking water and water. medical aid.

The health risk is even higher in places like Bhambro, where health services are very limited, or in the crowded camps created hastily to accommodate the victims.

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“Outbreaks currently affecting Pakistan such as acute diarrhoea, dengue fever, malaria, polio and Covid-19, have further worsened, especially in camps and where water and sanitation infrastructure has failed. been damaged," warned the WHO.

© 2022 AFP