“After two years of pandemic school closures in the last few years, children once again risk further disruption to their learning, in areas where one-third of girls and boys were already out-of-school before the crisis,” said UNICEF. Source: Sami Malek, UNICEF.
Devastating floods have ravaged parts of Pakistan, leaving over three million children in desperate need of humanitarian aid according to UNICEF.
The organisation is seeking millions of dollars to help provide much needed assistance as over 33 million people have been severely impacted by Pakistan’s most severe flooding event in history with 16 million of those people children.
“UNICEF is appealing for US$37 million and aims to reach children and families in the coming months with support including lifesaving medical equipment, essential medicines, vaccines and safe delivery kits, safe drinking water and sanitation supplies, nutrition supplies and temporary learning centres and learning kits,” they said.
Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab have been the worse affected areas with more than 73 other districts also heavily impacted. The Pakistan government has officially declared the disaster a national emergency.
Pakistan has received nearly three times the average annual rainfall over the past 30 years during this event and in some regions, it’s been five times more than the average.
Monsoon rains have brought about flooding and landslides, causing serious damage to infrastructure like schools, roads, hospitals, and bridges, leaving many people stranded and without easy access to necessities.
It’s believed that over 17,500 schools have been impacted by the floods.
1100 people have lost their lives with over 350 children also having died and according to UNICEF representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fail children are always some of the most vulnerable people when a disaster hits.
UNICEF has said that people are at serious risk of catching a waterborne disease as 30 per cent of water systems have been damaged.
“Cases of diarrhoea and water-borne diseases, respiratory infection, and skin diseases have already been reported. They affect populations which are very vulnerable – 40 per cent of children already suffered from stunting, caused by chronic undernutrition, before the floods hit.”
