KARACHI, Pakistan, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- With flood waters receding in Pakistan, officials worry that religious customs and a lack of effective sanitation is creating problems with the drinking water.
As much as one-quarter of Pakistan was under water during August after monsoon rains soaked much of Central Asia. Millions of Pakistanis were displaced by the flooding and thousands were killed.
People in flood-stricken areas are faced with the threat of water-borne illnesses as standing pools of river water are left behind. Humanitarian agencies worry that unsafe filtering methods and the practice of praying over contaminated water is making the problem worse.
Pakistanis say they have few options, including a lack of refrigeration, to address their water needs.
The World Health Organization said it treated more than 500,000 people for acute diarrhea last month.
"Measures to respond to waterborne diseases include the establishment of diarrheal treatment centers in affected parts of the country, distribution of materials that could treat 135,000 people suffering from diarrhea and striving to address the safe water, sanitation and hygiene challenges," Paul Garwood, a WHO spokesman, told the U.N.'s humanitarian news agency IRIN.
But many Pakistanis complain about the treatment methods, turning to the Koran for help.
"This practice of saying verses over the water serves no purpose," warned Muneebur Rehman, a religious scholar in Karachi.
