“There are still many areas in Pakistan where it is very difficult to reach people”

Heavy monsoon rains that began in June have flooded more than a third of Pakistan, with the death toll now exceeding 1,500.

It is estimated that more than 33 million people have been affected and that the waters could still take months to recede.

Infrastructure and thousands of homes have been destroyed and, just one month after the government declared a national emergency on August 26, many people still do not have access to shelter, food or drinking water.

In fact, some villages remain isolated and, to this day, still have not received any kind of outside help.

This is the account of Shahid Abdullah, MSF emergency coordinator in Dera Murad Jamali, Baluchistan, about the situation in the most affected areas.

“Here in Dera Murad Jamali, next to the main road, you can see that fortunately many victims have already received help.

They have, among other things, mosquito nets, hygiene products and food.

However, for those who are far from the main road, the story is quite different: they have been abandoned to their fate because it is very difficult to access them.

A few days ago my team and I reached out to a group that hadn't received any help since the floods started in June.

They have spent entire weeks surviving as best they could.

We attended to their most immediate medical needs, delivered basic necessities and provided them with mental health support, but they need to receive all kinds of help as soon as possible.

We are seeing patients with diseases transmitted by contaminated water

Stagnant water is causing multiple health problems and the situation does not seem to be resolved yet.

We are seeing patients with diseases transmitted by contaminated water, such as diarrhea, and many others with malaria, skin diseases, eye infections and also respiratory infections.

The challenges are many and great and, in many areas, it is very difficult to reach people.

It is heartbreaking to see how the houses that were built of mud have been completely washed away by the water.

Many of them have completely disappeared.

In many places, the flow is still very high and the only thing people can do is wait for it to go down again.

It's terrible.

Those who can, walk or swim to a point that is relatively dry.

However, there are too many who simply can't do anything but wait for the water to recede or for someone to come help them.

Just half or an hour from here there are still huge bodies of dammed water.

In many cases, the height to which it reaches is several meters above ground level.

And here, in the city, there are also rafts.

The consequences of the disaster are easily seen in buildings and everywhere.

MSF doctor Iftikhar Ahmed examines a child in the town of Miaonlay, Pakistan. Zahra Shoukat (Zahra Shoukat/MSF)

A lot of people have lost everything.

In addition, since they have to stay by the side of the road, which is where they have settled in search of safety and access to aid distributions, they do not have regular access to drinking water or toilets.

For women, in particular, it is difficult because they have to make great efforts to be able to take care of their menstrual hygiene or, simply, to be able to go to a place to relieve themselves.

As if that were not enough, the temperatures these days are extreme, in some cases up to 50 degrees.

And some of the people along the roadside have only a few simple, hand-woven beds stacked next to each other, and a piece of cloth or plastic to shade them from the sun.

In our hospitals we see many children who are being born with malnutrition.

It is true that this is something that already happened before the floods, but the current circumstances do not help and, of course, can contribute to worsening their condition.

Life here was no longer easy, so all this is affecting them greatly.

As you can see, the situation is complicated and the needs far exceed our ability to respond, but we are happy to at least be able to help.

Since our emergency response began in the middle of last August, we have passed more than 10,000 consultations through our mobile clinics in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa.

We have also distributed 5,000 kits of basic necessities, including hygiene products and kitchen utensils, and we have provided more than 300,000 liters of drinking water to the victims.

And as long as there are needs, we will continue trying to reach all those who need it.”

Shahid Abdullah

is MSF's emergency coordinator in Dera Murad Jamali, Baluchistan.

You can follow PLANETA FUTURO on

to our 'newsletter'

.