Women in Chung, a settlement on the outskirts of Lahore, are facing challenges accessing basic necessities such as sanitary pads and essential medicines, including pregnancy-related care. These difficulties have arisen as devastating floods in eastern Pakistan have compelled numerous families to seek refuge in makeshift relief camps.
Shumaila Riaz, a 19-year-old pregnant woman expecting her first child, has spent the past four days in a former classroom turned relief camp, enduring pregnancy cramps. Expressing uncertainty about her future, Shumaila shared, "I wanted to think about the child I am going to have, but now, I am not even certain about my own future."
Amid the overcrowded school, which hosts over 2,000 individuals, women clad in worn-out clothes and disheveled hair are struggling to access proper healthcare and medicines. Fatima, a 19-year-old mother of a one-year-old daughter and four months pregnant, lamented the lack of medical supplies, saying, "My body aches a lot, and I can't get the medicines I want here."
The recent monsoon rains have led to the swelling of three major rivers in Punjab province, impacting over two million people, with approximately 750,000 individuals evacuated. The rescue efforts, involving the evacuation of 115,000 people by boat, mark the largest operation of its kind in Punjab's history, as reported by the provincial government.
The floods have predominantly affected rural areas near riverbanks, but urban regions, including parts of Lahore, have also been inundated. While the seasonal monsoon is crucial for agriculture in South Asia, climate change is causing more erratic and deadly weather patterns in the region.
Displaced women in the relief camps are facing challenges in managing menstrual hygiene due to a lack of sanitary products and proper sanitation facilities. Aleema Bibi, 35, highlighted the difficulties, stating, "We are struggling to get pads for when we get our period. And even if we do, there are no proper bathrooms to use."
The vulnerable pregnant women in the camps are also at risk of infectious diseases, with doctors reporting a high number of patients presenting with various infections and waterborne illnesses. Fahad Abbas, a doctor at a medical camp established by a local NGO, emphasized the psychological trauma experienced by women and children who have lost their homes.
Amidst the ongoing crisis, women are facing immense hardships, with one anonymous individual expressing the challenges of obtaining necessary medications, highlighting the severe impact of the situation. Jameela, reflecting on the ordeal, remarked, "We escaped death, but this misery is no less than death either."
