Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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August 7, 2007

UN Warns of Looming Health Crisis in South Asia Flooding
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=186BF70:A6F02AD83191E1601FB00BE2E9F3595B9574F7DCC14957C0 UNICEF says entire
villages are just days away from outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever
and cholera





A woman wades through a flooded street to collect food in Sirajgonj,
about 104 kilometers (65 miles) north of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka,
03 Aug 2007U.N. agencies say millions of people displaced by flooding
in South Asia face a looming health crisis unless they receive
emergency aid within days.

The U.N. children's fund (UNICEF) says entire villages are just days
away from outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever and cholera.   And the
World Health Organization says waterborne diseases are the main
threat, adding that many people are relying on dirty surface water for
their basic needs.

An estimated 28 million people in India, Bangladesh and Nepal have
been affected by more than a week of intense monsoon rains that have
flooded rivers, washed out roads and bridges and cut off remote
villages.

More than 360 people have died.

Emergency aid has been slow to arrive in flood-affected areas,
prompting fights over airdrops of supplies.

Northern and eastern India have been hardest hit, including the states
of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.  More than 1,200 people have died
from flooding in India since June, the start of the monsoon season.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, Reuters.




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