Fears of Disease In Children During Quake Hit Pakistan

Kenneth Miller
3:56
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gxSk8TYA57FpxUQ12usXmr7pKkfg

Unicef warned earlier today that the spread of deadly diseases through out quake ridden Pakistan was imminent. The quake that struck on Wednesday has left 70,000 homeless, 30,00 of which are children. Pakistan officials have assessed the situation and fear for the safety of women and children. The top priority has been clean water to prevent further disease spread and shelter for the survivors as winter colds sweep through Pakistan. Pregnant women and young children have been flagged most vulnerable to diseases in these conditions including commonly Diarrhoea and Cholera. 12,000 people still lack safe water as the quake damage many water resources. Due to the cold many of the children are also suffering from phuemonia and the death toll is expected to rise. Tents, blankets, and medical supplies are in great shortage. The majority of victims involved in the quake were children and have also endured physcological trama from the situation. Many women refuse to recieve medical treatment due to their traditional beliefs. Military forces are doing their best to distribut supplies to the victims, while red cross also distributes food kits to families. Yet despite all these best efforts the death is still expected to rise.

It's pretty terrible to think about what all the people over there are going through having just encountered such a rough natural disaster. Being thrown out of their homes and having to deal with the winter is leading to alot of sickness, and it's unfortunate that so many suffered. This serves somewhat of a reminder at how fragile our balance with the environment is. Being left homeless, the masses face such a high rate of disease due to just clean water alone, not to mention the freezing cold. Hopefully the U.N provides more medical supplies if they can and perhaps the families can soon find shelter, if at least for just the children. I feel the best we can do is cross our fingers and hope for the best or contribute what small sum we can to red cross to help better their efforts.