As Muslim families come together around the world to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan, nearly 10 million children and their families in Pakistan still need immediate, lifesaving support as they struggle to survive the aftermath of the unprecedented 2022 floods.
The “monsoon on steroids” that left huge swathes of Pakistan underwater, swallowing up villages and turning others into islands, is over, but the damage remains.
UNICEF has been on the ground for months, working with partners to respond to urgent humanitarian needs, while restoring and rehabilitating existing health, water, sanitation and education facilities for families returning home.
Children sit beside a pond of contaminated floodwater near Zangi Brohi Village, Dadu District, Sindh. © UNICEF/UN0761217/Butt
Up to 4 million children are still living in close proximity to stagnant and contaminated floodwaters, endangering their health and safety. By Dec. 2022, UNICEF had provided more than a million people in flood-affected areas with access to safe drinking water.
Six-year-old Wajiha receives a UNICEF winter kit from UNICEF Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Zaheer Ahmad in Sheringal, Upper Dir District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. © UNICEF/UN0779329/
To help children survive freezing temperatures, UNICEF distributed winter kits containing warm clothing, along with jackets, blankets and quilts.
Grandmothers keep their grandchildren warm with the help of blankets provided by UNICEF in Zangi Brohi Village, Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan. © UNICEF/UN0761229/Butt
UNICEF works with partners to meet children’s immediate needs and strengthen the systems children rely on to grow up healthy and safe. It will take months, if not years, for families to recover from the devastation caused by the floods.
A family sits on a charpoy outside their house after receiving UNICEF’s winter kit in Zangi Brohi Village, Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan. © UNICEF/UN0761223/Butt
Many of the districts hardest hit by the flooding were already among the country’s most vulnerable, with high rates of poverty and malnutrition. Families lost everything — houses, crops, livelihoods, schools, health facilities.
UNICEF is committed to helping Pakistan’s families rebuild their lives, and build community resilience to help withstand future climate-related shocks.
Four-year-old Fatima stands outside her family’s tent in Zangi Brohi Village, Dadu District, Sindh. © UNICEF/UN0761214/Butt
In the coming year, UNICEF plans to treat 1.6 million children under 5 for severe wasting, the most visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition.
Above, in Zangi Brohi Village, Dadu District, Sindh Province, Nadiya keeps her 8-month-old son, Ataullah, warm by the stove. © UNICEF/UN0761220/Butt
By early January 2023, UNICEF health interventions had reached 1.5 million people with primary health care services, while 4.5 million children had been immunized against polio in 16 flood-hit districts.
On Sept 16, 2022, children attend a class at the temporary learning center established by UNICEF in a camp for flood-affected people near Moenjodaro, Larkana District, Sindh. © UNICEF/UN0706916/Butt
To help Pakistan’s children reach their full potential, UNICEF is repairing and reopening damaged schools, and establishing temporary learning centers. Some of the eager young students have never been to school before. They are excited to have a safe place to learn and play and grow.
None of this work would be possible without the sustained support of donors and partners who are committed to supporting Pakistan’s children, and their right to grow up in safety and health, with hope for a brighter future.
This Ramadan, as thoughts turn to those less fortunate, partner with UNICEF to bring much-needed relief to the children of Pakistan. Help UNICEF provide emergency cash assistance to vulnerable families by donating your Zakat now.
Top photo: Lakhi Bibi keeps her children warm inside her tent after receiving a UNICEF winter kit in Zangi Brohi village, Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan. © UNICEF/UN0761212/Butt