Zubair Qureshi
A year after historic floods that devastated Pakistan and a national state of emergency was declared, millions of children continue to need humanitarian assistance and access to essential services, UNICEF warned on Friday. This season’s monsoon rains are worsening already challenging conditions for flood-affected communities, tragically claiming the lives of 87 children across the country. UNICEF estimates there are still 8 million people, around half of whom are children, that continue to live without access to safe water in flood-affected areas. Over 1.5 million children require lifesaving nutrition interventions in flood-affected districts, while UNICEF’s current appeal of US$173.5 million to provide life-saving support remains only 57 per cent funded.
“Vulnerable children living in flood-affected areas have endured a horrific year,” said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan. “They lost their loved ones, their homes and schools. As the monsoon rains return, the fear of another climate disaster looms large. Recovery efforts continue, but many remain unreached, and the children of Pakistan risk being forgotten.”
Last year’s floods submerged one third of the country, affecting 33 million people, half of whom were children. Vital infrastructure was damaged or destroyed – including 30,000 schools, 2,000 health facilities and 4,300 water systems. The climate-related disaster deepened pre-existing inequities for children.
