The floods that swept large parts of Pakistan recently as a result of the continuous heavy rains since mid-July have caused severe damage to archaeological monuments, threatening the historical heritage in that country.
Pakistani media reported that the destruction caused by the floods affected archaeological monuments in various regions of Sindh province, where most of them need restoration, pointing out that the most prominent monuments damaged by the floods are castles, shrines and ancient cities.
In Larkana province, floods caused significant damage to the 5,000-year-old ancient city of Mohenjo Daro.
The floods caused the walls to tilt in Mohenjo Daro, which is one of the most prominent cities of the Indus civilization. Among the monuments damaged by the floods are also the Makli monuments, which are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
On the other hand, the World Health Organization announced today that 888 health facilities in Pakistan were damaged as a result of the floods. The organization said in a statement issued today: “The floods led to the complete collapse of 180 health facilities and their out of service.”
The statement pointed out that millions of people were deprived of access to health services as a result of the damage to hospitals and medical centers due to the floods, and warned of the high risks of epidemics spreading in areas where desalination sources were damaged.
For his part, Ahmed Al-Mandhari, an official in the Eastern Mediterranean region of the World Health Organization, said: “The effects of this year’s floods are more frightening than ones that occurred in previous years,” noting that the organization began providing aid and emergency health services.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority in Pakistan, the death toll from the floods that swept most of the country reached 1,162 dead and 3,554 injured.
Inas Abdulkareem