The U.N. children's agency said more than 3 million children were in need of humanitarian assistance and stood at heightened risk of diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the most severe flooding in Pakistan's recent history.
, which since June have caused flash floods that have killed 1,191 people and affected 33 million people. About a million homes have also been damaged or destroyed.
Ramesh Kumar, a medical doctor in Shikar Pur, said he treated scores of flood victims and most of them had waterborne diseases. Farah Naureen, the director for Pakistan at international aid agency Mercy Corps, said waterborne diseases were increasing at a faster pace among displaced people in flood-hit areas. In a statement, she said other than infectious diseases, the health of women was of particular importance.
According to the U.N. Population Fund, 6.4 million flood victims in Pakistan need humanitarian assistance. It said about 650,000 pregnant women in flood-affected areas, including 73,000 expected to deliver in the next month, need maternal health services."When disasters hit, children are always among the most vulnerable," said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF representative in Pakistan. The floods damaged 17,566 schools, the agency said.
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