More than three million children are in need of humanitarian assistance and at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history, UNICEF warned on Friday.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has painted a bleak picture of women affected by the unprecedented floods in Pakistan as it said that at least 650,000 pregnant women, of whom 73,000 are expected to deliver next month, in the flood-affected areas are in dire need of maternal health service.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a 24-hour situation report released on routine basis that accounted overall life, property, and infrastructure losses incurred by the heavy rains lashing out various parts of the country.
The maximum deaths were recorded in Sindh where 12 people died alongwith nine injured including a man and female died in Sanghar, two women and three children in Shaheed Benazirabad, two children drowned in stagnant water in Tando Allahyar, two children drowned in flood water in Dadu, one child died in Naushahro Feroze.
The heavy rains and flash floods caused deaths of three women and injured two children of Balochistan whereas further details were to follow. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four people perished due to house collapse in various districts including a man and a woman in Lower Dir, a man in Chitral, and a man in South Waziristan.
However, two people were reported as injured including two men in Lower Dir due to house collapse. In Balochistan, three routes were blocked due to landslides and high flow of water including the M-8: (100–140 km) as land sliding occurred in 24 Km Long section of Wangu hills, N-65 Pinjra Bridge (Bolan River) 45 meter span washed out by flash floods and N-35 blocked at 3 locations KM 288 (Zaid Khar Nalla) Upper Kohisitan.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two connectivity routes were blocked including N-95: (Madyan) blocked at Behrain – Laikot (27 km) and Laikot – Kalam (8km), N-50 was open for traffic except breached section of Sagu bridge whereas preparation of approaches on both sides of Sagu bridge was in process.
The railway tracks blocked in Balochistan include Quetta to Taftan, Balochistan – Sindh’s Quetta to Sibbi to Habibkot, in Punjab- Sindh Hyderabad to Rohri to Multan and in Sindh Kotri to Lakhi Shah to Dadu were submerged underwater.
Moreover, 23 joint survey teams of NDMA had reached respective locations at two sites in Quetta along with a provincial coordination team, for joint survey and damage assessment in flood-affected areas, Pishin, Loralai, Dhuki, Surab, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, Awaran, Lasbela, Gawadar, Qila Saifullah, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah, Musakhel, Washuk, Kohlu, Barkhan, Khuzdar, Nasirabad, Kachhi ,Sibi and Dera Bugti
The Armed Forces Army aviation undertook 864 sorties and rescued over 15,000 stranded persons and distributed of 1,476 tons of food and relief items among flood-affected people, sent 3,690 tents, 20,000 liters of water, set up 253 free medical camps where 23,436 patients were treated and 147 relief camps were established.
The Pakistan Navy undertook 26 helicopter sorties and rescued 8,278 stranded people, distributed of 51,200 food packs, 239 tonnes of food and relief items among flood affected people, sent 700 tents, 217,820 liters of water, set up 16 free medical camps where 14,725 patients were treated.
The Pakistan Air Force conducted 45 helicopter sorties, 52 C-130 sorties and rescued 1,184 people, distributed of 73,191 food packs and 182 tonnes of food and relief items among flood-affected people, sent 795 tents, 87,216 liters of water, set up 32 free medical camps where 15,235 patients were treated and 23 relief camps were established.
The report highlighted that mainly dry weather was expected over most parts of the country. However, isolated thunderstorm and rain was expected over Upper catchment areas of all major rivers.
More than three million children are in need of humanitarian assistance and at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history, UNICEF warned on Friday
UNICEF is working with government and non-government partners to respond to the urgent needs of children and families in affected areas, said a news release issued here.
Some 33 million people – including approximately 16 million children – have been affected by this year’s heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan, which have brought devastating rains, floods and landslides. Over 1,100 people including over 350 children have lost their lives, and a further 1,600 have been injured.
Over 287,000 houses have been fully, and 662,000 partially, destroyed. Some major rivers have breached their banks and dams overflowed, destroying homes, farms and critical infrastructure including roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and public health facilities
“When disasters hit, children are always among the most vulnerable,” said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan. “These floods have already taken a devastating toll on children and families, and the situation could become even worse. UNICEF is working closely with the Government and other partners to ensure that children affected get the critical support they need as soon as possible.”
In affected areas, 30 per cent of water systems are estimated to have been damaged, further increasing the risk of disease outbreaks with people resorting to open defecation and drinking unsafe water.
There are reports of significant damage to education infrastructure as 17,566 schools have been damaged, further jeopardizing the education of children. After two years of school closures due to the pandemic 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.
The rainfall – nearly three times the national 30-year average, and more than five times the 30-year average in some provinces, has led to the government declaring a national emergency, with 72 districts declared ‘calamity-hit’ – mostly in Balochistan and Sindh, the two worst-affected provinces, as well as in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab
Cases of diarrhea and water-borne diseases, respiratory infection, and skin diseases have already been reported. They affect populations that are very vulnerable – 40 percent of children already suffered from stunting, caused by chronic undernutrition before the floods hit. The perilous humanitarian situation is expected to continue to worsen in the days and weeks ahead as heavy rains continue in regions already underwater.
As part of the UN flash appeal to support the response, led by the Government of Pakistan launched this week – 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, sanitation supplies, nutrition supplies and temporary learning centres and learning kits.
According to UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), Pakistan is a known ‘climate hotspot’, where children are considered at ‘extremely high risk’ to the impacts of climate change, ranking 14th out of 163 CCRI-ranked countries and regions, placing Pakistan in the ‘Extremely high risk’ classification category in the Index. Children in ‘Extremely high risk’ countries face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate and environmental shocks combined with high levels of underlying child vulnerability, due to inadequate essential services, such as water and sanitation, healthcare and education.
