Global perspective Human stories

UNICEF continues providing relief to millions of flood-ravaged South Asians

UNICEF continues providing relief to millions of flood-ravaged South Asians

Marooned mother and child look through  window of their sunken home, Rajbari District
Nearly three months after the start of torrential rains, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are assisting millions of people across Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan still impacted by the resulting floods and landslides.

Nearly three months after the start of torrential rains, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are assisting millions of people across Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan still impacted by the resulting floods and landslides.

According to the Indian Government, 2,614 people have died while 48 million have suffered as a result of flooding. In the hardest-hit state of Bihar, UNICEF, with Government support, is setting up 50 maternity health camps, two nutritional rehabilitation centres to treat severely malnourished children and over 250 alternative learning spaces for 60,000 students.

Elsewhere in India, UNICEF and other organizations are providing emergency medical care, water purification supplies. They are also working to communicate messages about safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as working with education officials to re-open schools or establish alternative learning spaces.

Over 600,000 flood-impacted people throughout the country have been treated by UNICEF-backed fixed and mobile medical teams.

Bangladesh is recovering from a second wave of flooding, and to date, 946 people have died and 13.3 million others were affected. UNICEF and other UN agencies have completed a rapid needs assessment in the areas sustaining the most damage.

So far, UNICEF has distributed nearly half of the 380 metric tons of fortified biscuits in its stocks, along with 9,000 family kits, 5,500 recreational kits, 1,500 emergency education kits and 47,000 plastic sheets.

The Nepal Red Cross Society reported 185 deaths and over 580,000 people being affected by the severe flooding and landslides due to monsoons. UNICEF has provided 12,000 families with supplies, including hygiene kits and water purification supplies.

Almost 4,000 bottles of water purification agents have been supplied to the People’s Liberation Army in UN-monitored cantonments.

UNICEF is endeavouring to distribute 40,000 medicated bed nets, rehabilitate dozens of damaged water systems in 24 districts and supply school kits to bolster the education of some 20,000 children. The agency is also supporting the training of female community health volunteers who will launch a hand-washing campaign and hand out water purification agents in seven districts.

In Pakistan, where 420 people have died and over 377,000 people still have not been able to return to their damaged homes, UNICEF has stepped up efforts to provide safe drinking water and essential medical supplies while supporting the education system and assisting the most vulnerable women and children.

It has also provided safe drinking water for over 227,000 people, helped vaccinate 224,000 children against measles and supplied 153 School-in-a-box kits, each containing such items as flipchart pads, markers, pens, crayons, erasers, exercise books, rulers, pencils, chalk and chalkboards.

UNICEF has also supported the creation of 80 mobile child protection teams as well as 40 child and women-friendly spaces to protect 300,000 vulnerable girls, boys, women and their families, as well as the nutritional screening and distribution of fortified food for some 3,000 malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women.