Devastating floods in Pakistan claim lives of more than 500 children

Dr. Jassim Taqui

DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, September 17 , 2022: The catastrophic floods in Pakistan have now claimed the lives of at least 528 children, according to the latest Government figures. Each and every one of these deaths is a tragedy that could have been averted. 

“The sad reality is that without a massive increase in support, many more children will lose their lives.  

“I have been in flood-affected areas for the past two days. The situation for families is beyond bleak, and the stories I heard paint a desperate picture. All of us on the ground see malnourished children, battling diarrhea and malaria, dengue fever, and many with painful skin conditions. A lot of the mothers are anemic and malnourished themselves and have very low-weight babies. Mothers are exhausted or ill and are unable to breastfeed. Millions of families have been forced from their homes, now living with little more than rags to protect themselves from the scorching sun as temperatures in some areas pass 40 degrees Celsius.  

“Many families have been forced to seek shelter on slivers of higher ground, often alongside roads putting children at risk, as lower land is covered by huge expanses of stagnant water, extending as far as the eye can see. The additional threats of snakes, scorpions and mosquitoes are ever-present.  

“An estimated 16 million children have been impacted by these ‘super floods’ and at least 3.4 million girls and boys remain in need of immediate, lifesaving support. Young children are living out in the open with their families, with no drinking water, no food, and no livelihood, exposed to a wide range of new flood-related risks and hazards - including from damaged buildings, drowning in flood waters and snakes. The vital infrastructure that children so rely on has been destroyed and damaged, including thousands of schools, water systems and health facilities 

“Whilst the numbers of children lost in these floods continues to grow, UNICEF is doing everything we can to support children and families affected and protect them from the ongoing dangers of water-borne diseases, malnutrition and protection risks.