Media Alert: Pakistan Flood Children's Appeal

UNICEF is urgently appealing for emergency assistance to help millions of children affected by widespread flooding in Pakistan. This a major humanitarian disaster and funds are urgently required to provide clean water to safeguard against the threat of disease and deliver other life-saving supplies.

Heavy monsoon rains have caused floods of enormous scale that, according to the government of Pakistan, are affecting 20 million people overall. All five provinces of the country have been affected and the number of people in need of urgent assistance is bigger than the 2004 Tsunami, Haiti, and the last Pakistan earthquake combined.

Floodwaters have devastated towns and villages, washed away bridges and roads, destroyed crops and livestock, and caused major damage to hospitals, schools and drinking water facilities. UNICEF is on the ground in the worst affected area and aid is getting through, but much more is needed.

UNICEF estimates that there are at least 3.5 million children in need of immediate assistance in order to ensure they survive. Those who remain unreached are particularly vulnerable to water-borne diseases as they only have access to water that his heavily contaminated with animal carcasses and various types of waste such as garbage and faeces.

UNICEF’s Response:
Our primary concern is preventing the spread of water-borne diseases and controlling the already dangerously high malnutrition rates. We cannot allow children who have survived the floods to die because of disease.

Our top priority is scaling up the distribution of clean water to prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery, which could otherwise kill children who are already weakened by recent events.

UNICEF is currently providing enough clean water for 1.3 million people every day, but millions more need the same.

Together with partners we are also carrying out polio and measles vaccinations and supplying oral rehydration salts to treat diarrhoea. However, it cannot be stressed enough how much more support we need in order to continue with these lifesaving interventions.

How you can help:

Everything Everywhere, the company that runs Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, has launched an appeal with UNICEF to support the Pakistan children’s flood appeal.

Orange and T-Mobile customers can give £2.50 by texting the word DONATE to 864233 or donate online here www.unicef.org.uk/pakistanorange or www.unicef.org.uk/pakistant-mobile.

To get the latest news on UNICEF’s work in Pakistan click here: www.unicef.org.uk.