Pakistan Floods: They take turns monitoring and alerting any encroaching men.
Pakistan:
The stench of decay hangs over a makeshift camp in the south of Pakistan, where hundreds of locals have sought shelter from the devastating monsoon floods that have submerged nearly a third of the country.
In Punjab province, dozens of tents are set up in the vicinity of a small rural railway station – the only dry land on the water’s horizon, accessible only by a piece of road.
The odor is a predominant mix of rotting vegetation from submerged crops, leftover food scraps and waste – as well as accumulated excreta from hundreds of people and animals.
Flood affected people walk through flood affected area with relief food bags
“There is no place to take a shower or go to the bathroom,” said Zebunnisa Bibi, who was forced to flee with her family when floodwaters flooded two weeks ago.
Similar tent camps are spread across the south and west of the country. The worst floods in the country’s history have covered an area the size of the United Kingdom and affected 33 million people – one in seven Pakistanis.
One of the biggest issues is the lack of working toilets in these camps – a health hazard for all, but especially for women and girls.
Rural Pakistan is home to highly conservative Muslim communities, and many displaced women are living close to men who are not relatives for the first time in their lives.
“We used to live behind the scenes, but God has removed it for us,” Zebunnisa said, referring to the strict separation between the sexes prevalent in rural Pakistan.
‘Extremely embarrassed’
She said she was “extremely embarrassed” to relieve herself in the open – especially after she caught a man looking at her as she lowered her shalwar kameez behind a tree.
Shamin Bibi also expressed similar sentiments.
“Where can I send my daughters alone? When we sit down to rest, we are afraid that a man might come.”
Swarms of flies and mosquitoes add to the misery, creating a ripe environment for outbreaks of disease and infection.
After several developed rashes, some women have stopped going to the flood waters to relieve themselves.
Flood affected people shifted their belongings to a safe place in Dera Allah Yari
Ehsan Ayaz, a volunteer doctor who arrived at the camp site in Fazilpur during AFP’s visit, said the lack of toilets was the “main reason” for the increase in cases of skin infections and stomach flu that he treated.
Shamin and her daughters now drink as little water as they can during the day, preferring to spend hours in distress rather than being forced to relieve themselves where they can be seen.
When the sun sets and the camp is dark, the women look for a secluded spot away from the twinkling campfire.
They take turns monitoring and alerting any encroaching males.
“I don’t know what we can do if someone decides to come and take advantage of us,” Shamin said.
There is another danger as well.
At night Shamin said, “Snakes and scorpions emerge from the water”.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)