ISLAMABAD: As United Nations’ agencies scaled up their response to the catastrophic floods in Pakistan, a renewed call for more funds have been raised to reach over three million children who are in desperate need of support.

Unicef Pakistan Representative Abdullah Fadil on Friday said that $37 million was required to extend the much-needed life-saving support to about 3.4 million children in the country.

“We urgently need these funds and resources to allow us to continue to provide life-saving medical equipment, essential medicines, vaccines, safe drinking water, hygiene kits, mosquito nets,” Mr Fadil said.

The organisation has already delivered $2 million worth of emergency supplies, he said while briefing international media in Geneva.

Unicef says $37m needed to help children; WFP, OCHA mobilise more resources; UNHCR provides tents to KP

The Unicef representative also warned of a high risk of water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dengue, malaria, which are already spreading in the affected areas.

Separately, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in its latest estimations said the global humanitarian community aims to support around 5.2m people over the next six months.

Under its ‘2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan’ UNOCHA will complement the government’s efforts to ensure aid for around 33m people.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) has said that it was supporting the government by providing assistance in the form of food relief, malnutrition prevention and livelihoods assistance.

UNHCR provides 7,000 tents

The UNHCR handed over 7,000 tents and other emergency relief items to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority on Friday.

UNHCR Spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh has said that the agency is further mobilising resources and staff to scale up its assistance and support local communities and refugees in flood-hit areas.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2022