Cholera adds to Pakistani troubles

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32457, 18 November 1970, Page 1

Cholera adds to Pakistani troubles

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

DACCA (East Pakistan), November 17.

Cholera outbreaks in areas devastated in last week’s cyclone and tidal wave disaster today threatened relief efforts as officials for the first time talked of a final death toll as high as 300,000.

Word of the first cholera cases began coming in last night, realising the dread uppermost in the minds of officials trying to cope with the gigantic task of burying the thousands of dead and at the same time getting in much-needed food, medicine and other supplies to more than a million homeless survivors. A relief commissioner, Mr populated off-shore islands A. M. Anisuzzaman, said that which bore the full fury of cholera had broken out in the cyclone mid tidal wave Hatia, possibly the worst hit earl y last Friday. of the thousands of heavily Because of the cholera on

Hatia, the first medical ship to reach the island was unable to anchor there and had to move bn to Sandvip Island, Mr Anisuzzaman said. A Health Department spokesman said that nearly a million doses of anti-cholera vaccine had been sent to the area with 600,000 tons of pure drinking water and en- ; gineers in the region had been ordered to sink thous- ! and of tube wells. Relief'work 1 This is part of a huge re- ' lief operation mounted by the Pakistan Government and bolstered by aid in cash and kind coming itato the country every hour from various parts of the world. Mr Anisuzzaman, who said Pakistan had asked the United States Government for helicopters to help fly in relief supplies, spoke to reporters after making his eighth flight/in the last few days over /he 100 islands directly in me path of the 20ft tidal wave whipped up by the cyclone. Much of the stricken area is still cut off and it may be days before any clear word trickles through of the situation in these isolated parts. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations (Mr Agha Shahi) told the General Assembly in New York last night that up to 300,000 might have died. Reports from the ravaged area all spoke of scenes of horror and devastation with the phrase “indescribable destruction” and “corpses of . people and cattle everywhere,” recurring. More than 235,000 houses were destroyed with half as many again damaged in the 2300-square miles of the delta region, Mr Anisuzzaman said. West German and Swiss aid is already under way and Britain and the United States have also taken steps to help.

have pledged or already dispatched aid. The commissioner said cash was not the immediate problem as he had $42.9 million in hand. Mr Anisuzzaman said the relief ship now at Sandvip was equipped as a floating supply 'centre and a daily barge service from Dacca would help. Army engineers are working round the clock to repair breaches in the Cross Dam which also serves as a road link between Ramgati and Noakhali. The reopening of the road is vital to the relief efforts. The food position apparently is not extremely desperate in most areas, for local supply depots stocked with grain, rice, salt and sugar were not damaged.