Alam Zeb Khan
ISLAMABAD: United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has urged the world community to invest in building resiliency and human capital, particularly in rural Balochistan and Sindh, where much of the devastation occurred due to recent flash floods.
“These vulnerable communities need reliable access to basic services such as healthcare, education, nutrition, protection, sanitation, and hygiene, especially those underserved and remote communities.” UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, said at a press conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The UNICEF Representative said, “The rains have ended, and sadly yet 4 million children fight for survival near stagnant and contaminated flood waters.” With homes destroyed, they suffer a harsh winter and lack decent shelter.”
He said, “Children turned into orphans, villages turned into islands, and families still living under scraps of plastic in literally freezing conditions.”
He said, “In the flood-affected districts, around 1.6 million children were already suffering from severe malnutrition, while another 6 million children suffer from stunting. The condition can cause irreparable damage to the brains of the children, bodies, and immune systems. UNICEF expects this situation to have deteriorated exponentially.”
UNICEF representative narrates flood devastation
He said, “The flood washed away twenty-seven thousand schools. And despite the ongoing calamity, despite all the young lives in danger, UNICEF’s current appeal of US$173 million is less than half of the total funding to rehabilitate and reconstruct the affected areas. This is notwithstanding our work in almost every sector, reaching millions of children.”
“Last week, international donors announced over US$9 billion to help Pakistan recover from the destruction caused by the calamity. This is a very generous move from the world community. However, children must be at the centre of rehabilitation, recovery, and reconstruction efforts.”
He said, “Sustained growth and real economic recovery can only be achieved if we make the required investments to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of children.”
He said, “Pakistan is a known climate hotspot, and it is just a matter of time before another large-scale climate disaster strikes the country’s children. We need flexible funding to double our efforts today and long-term investment.”
