According to the UN, millions of children and pregnant women are in urgent need of humanitarian aid because of the devastating floods in Pakistan. More than three million children are “at increased risk of waterborne illness, drowning and malnutrition,” the children’s charity UNICEF warned Wednesday evening. Cases of diarrhoea, respiratory infections and skin diseases have already been reported.
Nearly 650,000 pregnant women in the affected regions also need medical care, according to the UN Population Fund UNFPA. Up to 73,000 women due to give birth in the next month need qualified midwives and other support. With hundreds of thousands of homes damaged, many women and girls are also at risk of gender-based violence. In some affected regions, families are forced to live in makeshift tents without access to toilets and proper sanitation.
The humanitarian situation is expected to deteriorate in the coming weeks
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that many countries have sent aid. The UN had previously presented a six-month first aid plan with the government worth 160 million dollars (about 160 million euros). UNICEF warned of a further deterioration of the “dangerous humanitarian situation in the coming days and weeks” as heavy rains are expected in already flooded areas.
The floods, caused by the heaviest rainfall in more than three decades, have claimed the lives of about 1,200 people since mid-June. More than 33 million people in 116 of Pakistan’s 160 districts have been affected by the floods, according to the government. The South Asian country has about 220 million inhabitants.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
