Pakistan floods: Over 3 mn children at risk of waterborne diseases, malnutrition

Torrential monsoon rains have triggered the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history, washing away villages and leaving more than three million children in need of humanitarian assistance and at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition, UNICEF has said.

The UN agency said more than 1,200 people, including around 400 children, have lost their lives in Pakistani floods. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed, while many public health facilities, water systems and schools have been destroyed or damaged.

“UNICEF is responding to the Government and partners, helping to deliver safe drinking water; lifesaving medical supplies; therapeutic food supplies; and hygiene kits to children and families,” the agency said in a statement.

Earlier, on September 2, UNICEF Pakistan Representative Abdullah Fadil in his press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva said at least 18,000 schools have been damaged or destroyed across Pakistan due to the floods.

“We estimate that 16 million children are impacted and 3.4 million of these children are in need of humanitarian support,” Fadil said.

“Exacerbating this horrendous situation, many of the 72 hardest-hit districts were already amongst the most vulnerable ones in Pakistan. 40 percent of children were already suffering from stunting before the floods hit. Many children are now at heightened risk, without a home, school, or even safe drinking water.”

He added that there was now a risk of many more child deaths.

“The situation will only continue to deteriorate as winter is just 8 weeks away in some parts of the country,” Fadil said. “There is now a high risk of waterborne, deadly diseases spreading rapidly — diarrhea, cholera, dengue, malaria. Without adequate sanitation, communities are increasingly having to resort to open defecation, putting them at high risk of contracting diseases.”

Pakistan ranks 14th out of 163 countries on UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), placing the country in the ‘Extremely high risk’ classification category in the Index.