UNICEF chief urges scaling up humanitarian assistance’ funds for Pak flood victims

ISLAMABAD, Oct 30 (NNI): United Nations International Fund for Children in Emergency (UNICEF) Regional Director for South Asia George Laryea-Adjei on Sunday said the flood devastation in Pakistan was massive by any scale as the agency alone was seeking $173.5 million for providing humanitarian assistance and protection needs of the flood victims in post-disaster relief efforts.
The UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia in an exclusive chat with APP informed about his recent visit to the flood affectees districts of Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
He said the fallout of the disaster was extensive and it contained waterborne diseases that were affecting the farmland, schools and everyone at large.
George Laryea-Adjei said some 84 districts were to face immense challenges due to disasters, whereas out of the total $173.5 million — $34.6 million was required for nutrition; $35 million for health; $58 million for wash; $11 million for child protection; $23 million for education and $11 million for emergency preparedness.
He said that he had visited many districts of the above-mentioned provinces and felt the distress of the families they were going through.
“The Government of Pakistan is leading the response. However, 9.6 million children need humanitarian assistance and due to floods some 23,000 schools are either destroyed or damaged,” he regretted.
Commenting on the challenges encountered in post-disaster relief and rehabilitation efforts, the UNICEF Regional Director said he was noticing two massive challenges that the government should address.
“The one is the community in areas ready to return to their destroyed homes after the flood water recedes. They are going to their homes where there is no food, cattle are lost, schools are impacted heavily and farms could be inundated and water polluted.
We will have to assist these communities. We will have to come up with alternatives. For example, a tent school could be established as an alternative, whereas temporary facilities must be in place, he weighed in while apprising the problem and a makeshift solution to address this challenge for the time being.
Appreciating the flood cash relief under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), he said the Government of Pakistan was providing funding which should not halt at any stage.
The second challenge, he said, was also those communities who were still under water. “They are staying with friends and families and others in camps. NNI