Standing Up for Children in Pakistan This Ramadan
UNICEF is committed to helping Pakistan's families rebuild their lives after 2022's devastating floods.
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.
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.
To help children survive freezing temperatures, UNICEF is distributing jackets, blankets, quilts and winter kits containing warm clothing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 committed to supporting the rights of children not just in Pakistan but around the world to grow up healthy and hopeful for a brighter future.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
