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Pakistan seeks to salvage economy as more flee floods

Floodwaters are beginning to recede across the country, but because of high tides in the Arabian Sea and the possibility of more rain, the risk of flooding remains in southern Sindh.

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Pakistan ordered fresh evacuations from southern Sindh on Thursday as the country struggled to bring relief to millions already displaced by flooding and sought international help to rescue its economy.                                           
 
The towns of Sujawal, Daro and Mirpur Batoro, with a combined population of 400,000, were ordered evacuated after the swollen Indus river bust through an embankment.                                           
 
"Evacuation in those areas is ongoing but we have issued another warning for the remaining people to leave as well," said Saleh Farooqi, director general of the National Disaster Management Agency's Sindh office.                                           

Many residents of the Indus delta area, about 100km (62 miles) east of Karachi, had already left, he said, but "thousands" remained, he said. If a second levee breaks, more towns could be inundated.                                           
 
Floodwaters are beginning to recede across the country, but because of high tides in the Arabian Sea and the possibility of more rain, the risk of flooding remains in southern Sindh.              
 
The spokesperson for the powerful Pakistani Army said difficulty in reaching certain areas, where 800,000 people are accessible only by air, could fuel social unrest.                                           

"If the aid doesn't reach certain areas, then yes, the people will become restive," said Major General Athar Abbas.                                            
The worst floods in decades have made the government more unpopular, heightening concerns about a nation that is already battling Islamist militants.                                           

In Sukkur, to the north, flood victims crowded relief camps and said incidents of disease were increasing.                                           

"The children are getting sick," a man who called himself Bangul told Reuters. "I myself am not feeling well."                                           

He said some people had already started returning to their villages, even though many were still flooded. "We can only see the roof and minaret of the mosque," he said. "We think maybe it will take six months to dry up and then we can go back."
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