[SatNews] Displaced victims of the Pakistan floods, struggling to survive three months after losing everything in the disaster, are being offered a SATCOMs lifeline.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an arm of the United Nations, has deployed 100 broadband satellite terminals. They include 20 Sabre 1 Wideye Inmarsat BGANs to restore communication links in remote areas and provide vital telemedicine applications. Thousands of people are threatened by water-borne diseases and malnutrition as the Pakistan authorities and international aid agencies battle to provide food, shelter and medical attention. Their situation will become even more precarious with the onset of winter. The satellite terminals will provide medical workers in the field with a vital link to referral centres, providing diagnostic support and real-time consultations with specialists in hospitals anywhere in the world.

The floods that ravaged Pakistan in August were the worst in living memory. Up to 20 million people were affected and vast tracts of fertile agricultural land were inundated. ITU secretary-general Hamadoun Touré said, "The havoc caused by the floods will have long-term repercussions on the social and economic life of Pakistan. At this time, it is critical to get aid to the survivors, especially those living in remote, difficult-to-access areas. The broadband satellite terminals deployed by the ITU will help communications with the outside world as well as provide telemedicine capabilities."