Floods devastate Pakistan, aid required as rehabilitation efforts lag: UNICEF

August 25, 2023 (MLN): Devastating historic floods have submerged one-third of Pakistan, causing significant damage to vital infrastructure, including 30,000 schools, 2,000 health facilities, and 4,300 water systems, according to the latest UNICEF press release.

One year after the historic floods millions of children continue to need humanitarian assistance and access to essential services.

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, who continue to live without access to safe water in flood-affected areas.

Over 1.5m children require lifesaving nutrition interventions in flood-affected districts, while UNICEF’s current appeal of $173.5m to provide life-saving support remains only 57% 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,” he added.

Last year’s floods affected 33m people, half of whom were children.

The climate-related disaster deepened pre-existing inequities for children and families in affected districts.

One-third of children were already out of school before the floods, malnutrition was reaching emergency levels and access to safe drinking water and sanitation was worryingly low.

Since August 2022, thanks to support from the international community, UNICEF and partners have reached 3.6m people with primary health care services; enabled access to safe water for 1.7m people in areas where water networks were damaged or destroyed; reached over 545,000 children and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support; and supported education for over 258,000 children.

Over the past twelve months, UNICEF has screened 2.1m children for severe acute malnutrition, a condition where children are too thin for their height, and admitted 172,000 children for lifesaving treatment. Yet the needs continue to outstrip the resources required to respond.

“UNICEF calls on the Government of Pakistan and partners to increase and sustain investment in basic social services for children and families. We must build back climate-resilient systems that bridge equity gaps and reduce vulnerability to climate shocks,” said Fadil.

“We cannot forget the children of Pakistan. The flood waters have gone, but their troubles remain, in this climate-volatile region,” he added.

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