Pakistan floods: Massive protest in Sukkur after six-year-old girl dies of 'starvation'

Protests erupted in Sukkur city of Sindh province after a six-year-old girl reportedly died due to starvation and illness at a makeshift shelter near a filling station on national highway in Patni region on Friday. Around 200-flood affected families protested in Sukkur city of Pakistan. Protesters claimed that six-year-old died as Rohri mukhtiarkar were not able to "provide m food and or relief goods in time," Dawn reported.  

Khalid Khuso, girl's far stated that y h visited mukhtiarkar's office in Rohri for aid but y were not provided with food and tents. He furr said that his six-year-old daughter Razia died due to "starvation and disease." Protesters have said that y were waiting for official aid after y arrived in Sukkur from Jacobab district as rains h destroyed all ir belongings. Protesters said that officials came to gar data but did not provide any relief material. Furrmore, y said that medical team did not come to check on health of children and women, who were facing health issues after rains. 

"When our children started starving, we went to mukhtiarkar's office in Rohri for aid but we received neir food nor tents. In meanwhile, my six-year-old daughter Razia died of starvation and disease," said girl's far Khalid Khoso.

Protesters have said, " officials came only to collect data but neir of m sent any relief items such as food, tents, mosquito nets and or necessary goods so that we could feed our starving children and protect ir families against diseases." Protesters stated that local people and former members of Khoso Ittih Farman Khoso assisted girl's family in burial and provided ration bags to flood-affected families. Farman Khoso called on district ministration to help flood-affected families and give m food immediately so that no more children die due to starvation. Locals have claimed that child's death was gross negligence by officials and ir inaction to court directives. According to locals, Sukkur bench of Sindh High Court h ordered officials to move people into camps and give m relief material.

UN Chief Guterres visits Sukkur 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Sindh province to meet flood-affected people on September 10. Guterres accompanied by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari travelled to Sukkur region of Sindh. He has termed flood situation in Pakistan as "climate carnage." Guterres furr said, "I have simply no words to describe what I have seen today." He called for financial support for Pakistan and described it as a "matter of justice", stating that nation is "paying price of something that was created by ors." Guterres also expressed gratitude to civil society, humanitarian organizations, and UN teams who have come forward to help people affected by flood. According to United Nations, more than 1,300 lives have died and tens of millions of people left homeless. 

"I have seen many humanitarian disasters in world, but I have never seen climate carnage on scale of floods here in Pakistan," UN Chief Antonio Guterres said. 

With inputs from ANI

Image: AP