Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 18 January 2023

UNICEF

PRESS RELEASE

Pakistan’s rains may have stopped, but children are still dying - UNICEF

This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil – to whom quoted text may be attributed - at yesterday’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva

GENEVA/ISLAMABAD, 18 January 2023- “The rains have ended; and sadly, to a great degree, so has media attention. And yet 4 million children fight for survival near contaminated and stagnant flood waters.

"With homes destroyed, they are suffering a bitter winter, without decent shelter.

"You will have all seen the images that tell this heartbreaking story: villages turned into islands; children turned into orphans; families still living under scraps of plastic in literally freezing conditions.

"The numbers also tell a story – the story of an ongoing nightmare for the children of Pakistan.

"In the flood-affected districts, about 1.6 million children were already suffering from severe acute malnutrition, while another six million children suffer from stunting, a condition that can cause irreversible damage to children’s brains, bodies and immune systems. Post floods, UNICEF expects this situation to have worsened exponentially.

"Twenty-seven thousand schools have been washed away. And despite the ongoing tragedy, despite all the young lives at stake, UNICEF’s current appeal of US$173 million is less than half funded. This is notwithstanding our work across almost every sector, reaching millions of children.

"Yes, last week, international donors pledged over US$9 billion to help Pakistan recover from the catastrophe. This is a very generous move. But children must be at the centre of recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

"Real economic recovery and sustained growth can only be achieved if we make the necessary investments to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of children.

"It is also imperative that we invest in building human capital and resiliency, particularly in rural Sindh and Balochistan where much of the devastation occurred. These vulnerable communities need reliable access to essential services such as healthcare, nutrition, education, protection, hygiene, and sanitation, especially those in remote and underserved communities.

"Pakistan is a known climate hotspot, and it is only 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 that addresses persistent inequities that girls and boys have faced for far too long. Thank you.”                                                 

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Notes for editors: 

Additional action by UNICEF in Pakistan

UNICEF’s mobile health, nutrition and water teams continue to provide lifesaving support to affected children and families. Together with partners, UNICEF is providing items such as warm clothing kits, jackets, blankets and quilts, aiming to reach nearly 200,000 people. We have also screened more than 800,000 children for malnutrition; 60,000 were identified as suffering from Severely Acute Malnutrition and referred for treatment. UNICEF health interventions have reached nearly 1.5 million people with primary health care services and 4.5 million children have been immunized against Polio and 1 million against measles in flood-hit districts. We have also provided more than one million people with access to safe drinking water, one million with hygiene kits, and have established 996 Temporary Learning Centers.

Multimedia materials (photos and b-roll) available here

Find out more about UNICEF's response to the floods in Pakistan here

Latest Pakistan Humanitarian Situation Report here

About UNICEF  

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.  

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For more information, please contact:  

Abdul Sami Malik, UNICEF Pakistan, +92 300 855 6654 / asmalik@unicef.org

James Elder | UNICEF Spokesperson, Geneva +41799415298 / jelder@unicef.org

Joe English, UNICEF New York, +1 917 893 0692 / jenglish@unicef.org