ISLAMABAD: The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) launched a $14bn appeal for children in humanitarian crisis, of which it plans to spend $64.9m on children and women affected by insecurity and floods in Pakistan.
The Humanitarian Action for Children 2013 will reach out to some 831,000 children under five who are at risk of acute malnutrition, 178,500 having no access to life-saving curative interventions from diarrhoea, and 1.5m without access to safe water.
Unicef said yesterday that children were at a significant risk because of poor access to healthcare, malnutrition above the internationally agreed-upon levels, unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation services.
Noting that Pakistan was prone to recurrent natural calamities, Unicef said the country’s national capacity development and preparedness were of a paramount importance.
Unicef has formulated, especially for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, funding requirements within the Humanitarian Operational Plan and Early Recovery Action Framework.
The UN agency in coordination with the government and its various bodies and non-governmental organisations will deliver an integrated package of maternal, newborn, child health and nutritional services at the community level and provide immunisation against preventable diseases to reduce the risk of permanent disability among children.
It fears that elections in Pakistan and Bangladesh may not resolve political tension rather it may aggravate the situation of the most vulnerable populations.
Internews
