Four more children died from complications caused by malnutrition and other waterborne diseases in the drought-hit Tharparkar district in the last two days, taking the death toll to 76 this year so far. Sources at the Civil Hospital Mithi informed that the four children, who were brought to the medical facility for medical attention, died over the last two days. Children have become more vulnerable to waterborne diseases and infections owing to lack of facilities in the rain-dependent arid zone of the province. Lately, the district administration had informed the chief minister that relief activities in the drought-hit areas are in full swing. Deputy Commissioner Tharparkar Muhammad Asif Jamil said more than 600 children are under treatment in different health facilities of the district. He said that in the third phase of free wheat distribution scheme 1,681 families have been provided with 50kg of free wheat bag each. Besides, the 18 families who could not get free wheat during phase II of wheat distribution scheme were also been provided with free wheat in phase III. In all, 247,406 families in phase I, 252,393 families in phase II and 138,180 families in phase III have so far been provided with free wheat bags of 50kg each. Published in Daily Times, February 11th 2019.