Via the Sunday Observer in the UK: Pakistan floods: Aid trickles in for victims as cholera spreads in Pakistan's worst-ever floods. Excerpt:
Pakistan cancelled most of its independence day celebrations yesterday as its leaders renewed calls for help. Gilani warned that his government could not cope with the crisis on its own.
In an unfortunately worded statement, however, Zardari – who was later due to tour flood-affected areas – again drew criticism by appearing to underplay the scale of the disaster.
"The enthusiasm of independence day this year… has been dampened because of the unprecedented floods that have devastated the lives of thousands of people and left scars on the lives of several hundred thousands more in all parts of the country," he said.
Late yesterday, however, there were no indication that the worst was over. Indeed, Pakistan's flood control department warned that water in the upper reaches of the Indus was at "very high levels".
At some points along its course, the river was reported to be 15 miles wide – more than 25 times its normal size. Further flooding is now expected in Sindh province, which contains Karachi, the country's largest city.
The discovery of the first cholera case in Mingora, in the Swat valley, confirmed the worst fears of aid agencies who had been warning of the danger of disease. Cholera can lead to severe dehydration and death without prompt treatment, and containing cholera outbreaks is a priority following floods.
The UN said that it feared the case was not isolated, adding that it was now treating 36,000 people as if they were suffering cholera. Aid agencies warned that six million children were at risk of life-threatening diarrhoeal diseases, malnutrition and pneumonia.
"Don't ask me about the disease outbreak at this moment," said Dr Tanveer Fatima, the superintendent of a hospital in Rajanpur. "Our hospital is drowning in front of our eyes. The water is five to six feet high and rescue teams are shifting patients from this to other hospitals… Water is rising today."
A spokesman for the Disasters Emergency Committee said: "We are seeing the confirmation of our fears. The danger is that cholera is both deadly and spreads incredibly easily. Unfortunately the circumstances in Pakistan are against us."
Many flood victims are now living in muddy camps or overcrowded government buildings, while thousands more are sleeping in the open.
