WASHINGTON, Nov 20: The earthquake has left a large number of unattended children and women who are vulnerable to exploitation, warns an international report.

The report, prepared jointly by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, notes: “Unattended children constitute a group which will require special protection immediately and continuing in the medium and long term particularly to help them overcome trauma and prevent exploitation.”

In the aftermath of the earthquake, with little information available about family members, the Pakistan government put a ban on any form of adoption of children from the affected areas.

Children are also not allowed to be relocated from their areas without official permission in order to prevent trafficking in children.

The report says that some local charities and the Ministry of Women’s Development are making efforts to meet the protection needs but these have to be scaled up.

“Priority must be given to family reunification in the case of separated children, and for orphans culturally-sensitive interim and alternative care options need to be provided,” the report says.

“Unnecessary institutionalization of children must be avoided. Psycho-social support and legal protection may also be required, and needs to be provided through local capacities.”

The report suggests raising awareness and training on child rights and child protection, targeting all concerned actors.

“Special attention should be paid to children’s inheritance rights concerning land and property, and administration thereof by legal guardian until the child reaches maturity.”

The report says that widows and single-headed households present another “particular vulnerability” as they have to deal with their psycho-social distress as well as caring for children on their own.

Particularly in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the proportion of female-headed households is already high, around 20 per cent, due to the high level of labour migration while the earthquake has created another category of single-headed household led by widows without any male support.

The report, however, observes that compared to the rest of Pakistan women in Azad Jammu and Kashmir face less social restrictions on their mobility and social participation, while the Pathan population in Kohistan, Batagram and Mansehra district tend to practice strict purdah with little mobility and voice for women.

This inhibits the outreach of relief work to women and girls in affected areas, who may find it difficult to register for assistance as well as collect rations or cash support on a regular basis.