Drought-like condition in Thar may take shape of human catastrophe: UN report

ISLAMABAD: A human catastrophe can emerge in Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sangarh if there are no monsoon rains this summer, a recent report by the United Nations points out.

The report adds that the areas, often in the news for deaths due to drought-like conditions, face lack of potable water and health facilities, and remoteness.

On the other hand the Sindh government states that compared to the year 2014-15 the situation in these areas are much better.

Officials claim that in desert regions of Umerkot and Tharparkar in the Kharif season no irrigation took place, while in the last six months the government has not distributed any food.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority and the Sindh government had appealed to the UN to send a mission to the region to assess the effects of prolonged drought in the region.

The UN mission carried out the Sind Drought and Assessment Survey, which pointed out marginalized communities and warned the government that if adequate health facilities are not provided to them the situation may take shape of a “human catastrophe”.