KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday expressed optimism that the partnership between the provincial government and Unicef will grow stronger.

He said this during his meeting with Unicef’s new Pakistan Representative Pernille Ironside here at the CM House where both sides discussed the ongoing and future collaborations.

Welcoming her, the CM said the Sindh government values its “excellent partnership” with Unicef in multiple sectors, particularly in responding to natural disasters and strengthening essential services.

During the meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on the flood situation and the provincial government’s preparedness to face related challenges.

The CM noted that Sindh had taken strong measures to mitigate the impact of floods, while Unicef’s timely support had proven crucial for the affected communities.

Mr Shah lauded the Unicef’s efforts in flood-hit areas, where the world agency enhanced primary healthcare, maternal, newborn and child health services in five districts, benefiting more than 555,000 people, including 420,000 children and 130,000 women. It also worked on rehabilitating cold chain systems for vaccines and established round-the-clock birth-dose vaccination sites in public hospitals, ensuring newborns receive life-saving immunisation before discharge.

The meeting also highlighted Unicef’s broader portfolio in Sindh, including the Sindh School Daily Monitoring System to track student attendance and reduce dropouts through real-time alerts.

It also shed light on the Sindh Technical Assistance for Development through Enhanced Education Programme (STA-DEEP) education reform programme, which introduced decentralised school management, digital monitoring and professional development for teachers, benefited more than 55,000 children.

Non-formal basic education centres were set up with international support to bring thousands of out-of-school children back into learning through accelerated programmes. Safe spaces for children were set up and psychosocial-support initiatives launched in the flood-affected areas, providing healing and recreational activities to help children recover from trauma. Livelihood and skills training programmes were initiated for adolescent girls in Khairpur and Ghotki, empowering them through vocational training and community awareness.

The CM expressed gratitude to Unicef for standing by Sindh during the times of crisis, particularly floods, and for supporting long-term improvements in education, health and child protection. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to continue working with the international UN body to ensure children and families across Sindh have access to better health, education and protection services.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2025