Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 27 October 2022

UNIC

KEY MESSAGES

Today's Briefing Key Messages

Pakistan Floods 2022

·       2022 is the year the world realized Climate Change is here – 33 M affected, 1,718 killed, and 12,800 injured.

·       2.1 M houses damaged/destroyed, 8 M people displaced, including 644,000 living in relief camps. 13 K km of roads damaged. 1.2 M livestock lost.

·       We are just about to reach 100 days since the first appeal, and people still need lifesaving assistance.

·       Water is receding – but now there's not enough water for boats. This is increasing the number of areas which are inaccessible. People are returning to nothing.

·       3 months on, 7% of the land is still inundated – people are surviving on fish from the water they drink, cook with, clean in, and defecate in. 500 such villages in Taluka 7 of Jamshoro district alone.

·       Winter is here and brings with it a new set of needs and challenges. Health perils are changing face with a rise in respiratory diseases.

·       There is an increase of gender-based violence, especially in Southern Punjab. Women and children are at risk in camps and settlements. Girls may also face increased risks of child marriage as families who have lost their livelihoods struggle to make ends meet

·       Health: 8.2 million people need health assistance

o   An upward trend in acute respiratory diseases from 13561 cases last week to about 17000 cases this week

o   After the malaria outbreak, there is also a growing dengue outbreak - with 74% of these cases reported in the month of September alone and mostly in the flood affected areas

o   Around 650,000 pregnant women in flood-affected areas face challenges in getting access to maternal services. More than 73,000 women are due to give birth in the next month -- in the throes of the crisis

o   Almost 10 million children require immediate life-saving support, while nearly 4 million lack access to health services.

o   According to NDMA, close to 2,000 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Stocks of essential medicines and medical supplies are low. Access limitations remain.

·          Food & Drinking Water: Funding for food assistance may finish by the end of the year if more funds are not received

o  An estimated 14.6 million people require emergency food assistance from December through March 2023, representing an increase of more than 100 per cent of the pre-flood estimate. This includes 4 million people in IPC Phase 4 (emergency)

·       Shelter: 12 million people need shelter. The shelter is becoming more and more important as people return home and winter sets in.

 

Humanitarian Response

·       Government's aid consists of distribution and cash through the Benazir Income Support Programme.

·       Over 2.6 million flood-affected households were given relief cash assistance of PKR 25,000 (US$115) per household.

·        The Government has disbursed close to US$300 million to affected people.

·       National and international NGOs supporting food, health, non-food items (NFI), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

·       The members of Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF) provided immediate response and rescue services in 84 flood-affected districts, reaching over 2.6 million people.

·       Earlier this month (6 October), the IFRC Emergency Appeal was revised to CHF 55 million (US$54.9 million). (Aims to assist 1 million people through immediate and long-term support in relief, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, livelihood, protection and risk reduction).

·       UN and its partners have established hubs (Quetta, Peshawar and Multan) to improve field coordination and information sharing between the provincial and district level.

·       Three hubs in Sindh: Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.

·       Karachi hub supports logistics through Karachi port and airport as well as engagement and coordination with provincial authorities, including the Sindh PDMA.

·       Hyderabad hub provides support to 15 districts; Sukkur hub covers eight districts. 

·       On 4 October, the revised Pakistan Floods Response Plan (FRP) was released, appealing for US$816 million to cover the most urgent needs of 9.5 million people in need. More funding is urgently needed to cover the growing humanitarian needs.

·       23% (US$ 110 M) is committed against the US$ 816 M appeal with US$ 205 M pledged. The government claims to have received pledges of about US$ 1.1 billion, however, the flash appeal caters to the absolute prioritized populations and needs who need help to stay alive.

 

Challenges for women & girls in the flood-affected areas

·          Pakistan's flood crisis is particularly tough on poor women. Estimates show that 650,000 women currently located in flood-affected areas in Pakistan are in need of access to maternal health services, and that as many as 73,000 had to deliver babies during September 2022. Malnourished pregnant women are also at risk of giving birth to low birthweight babies who will be malnourished. Women already have insufficient food and water to consume but in this case they do not eat and drink whole day just to avoid to go for defecating. This is also creating malnutrition in women. The situation of pregnant women is worse. There are no arrangements in most of the camps. One of our NHN organization reported that in one of the camps in Sind two women delivered babies without having anything, no clothes for the baby. nothing and no trained birth attendant. Women form their camp managed her delivery which is off course would have health issues. There had been no arrangement of any transport to take that to the hospital as well. It was also seen that lady doctors are not there at the relief or medical camps and women having issues are not able to communicate to male doctors. This happened in the end of September 2022.

·        Floods doubled the protection risks for women and children. Family separation, theft, Gender based violence, rapes—women and girls remain vulnerable. More than half of the women in Sindh and KP have insufficient access to latrines. Women and girls do not have access to menstrual hygiene items and this is causing sever issues of maintaining their hygiene. In some places at Sindh where the hygiene kits / dignity kits have been distributed, there is no mechanism of disposal. These used materials cannot be properly disposed of. There are no latrines in the camps. Women wait whole day to go in groups in night and whole day they can't go. This is another level of distress.

·        Gender disparity in Pak healthcare system contributing to dismal health of women. The World Health Organization expressed deep concerns about the potential for a "second disaster in Pakistan: a wave of diseases and deaths" following the unprecedented floods and mostly it will affect women & children.

·        Floods have triggered the dire need of protection mechanisms and restoration of the security and dignity of the displaced women.

·        Women have safety issues left and right," there is a likelihood of more assault and harassment cases. Cases of disputes/violence against were reported during the relief distribution.

·        As compared to men women are less likely to receive information through digital media, in flood camps and affected areas.

·        Pattan, HANDS- NHN member organizations has disseminated information on PSEA through focal persons and volunteers in Sindh and Punjab

·        Majority of women have lost their livelihoods (especially women working in the fields). So they will have no cash flow for another six to eight months or may be for years.

·        The upcoming winter season is haunting these women and they want to rebuild their houses at the earliest and want to leave the camps, however there is 2 -5 ft flood water surrounding their areas.

 

WOMEN

Women and children in Pakistan need urgent health and protection services amid epic flood disaster

Malnourished pregnant women are also at risk of giving birth to low birthweight babies who will be malnourished.  

Around 650,000 pregnant women in flood-affected areas face challenges in getting access to maternal services. More than 73,000 women are due to give birth in the next month -- in the throes of the crisis

RESPONSE

Distribution of 6000 inter-agency reproductive health (IARH) kits, clean delivery kits, newborn baby kits and dignity kits in designated women and girls-friendly spaces. The women are sensitised to the need for personal hygiene to keep themselves and their children safe from the outbreak of disease

Receiving health support, including medicines and pre and post natal care through medical camps and hospitals

CHILDREN

Children are facing a nutrition emergency that is threatening the lives of millions of children - More than 1 in 9 children in flood-affected areas of Pakistan suffering from severe acute malnutrition

As winters approach there is an upward trend in acute respiratory diseases, with children being affected the most. An average of 24% of reported cases are Acute Respiratory Infection with 1/3rd children.

RESPONSE

271 outpatient therapeutic treatment centres for the prevention, detection and treatment of cases of severe acute malnutrition and other forms of malnutrition.

Expanding nutrition services through 73 mobile health teams in the 84 flood-affected districts, coupled with health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and protection services that are critical to save children's lives

Medical camps have benefited over 30,100 people in Sindh, over 18,000 people in Balochistan, nearly 18,100 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and over 3,700 people in Punjab

Provision of medicines and medical supplies to over 131,000 people

Support to outreach activities or temporary health facilities, benefiting over 25,600 people in Balochistan, over 19,700 people in Sindh and some 150 people in Punjab.

 

Protection

Concerns about Gender-Based Violence and Child protection

Vulnerable – women-led households, minorities and disabled are especially in need of assistance as they are more often than not ignored

RESPONSE

GBV case management (legal assistance, PSS, medical, safety and security) was provided for nearly 34,000 people in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.

Provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, benefitting over 7,000 people in Balochistan and over 1,500 people in Sindh.

PSEA awareness raising reached some 11,000 people in Khyber and Sindh. Similar activities for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness raising reached over 6000 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Group-based psychosocial support (PSS) activities have benefited some 10,000 people in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Psychological First Aid (PFA), benefitting over 4,000 2,500 Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

Individual counselling and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services, benefitting 7000people in Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Child protection case management for 35 children in Balochistan and information on Child Protection risks and services through direct/face-to-face methods have reached some 23000 face-to-face and nearly 625,000 people reportedly reached through indirect means such as radio, TV and social media.

Identification and support provided to the vulnerable and community/NGO mediation.