World Ignores Aid Funding Plea For Pakistan

There is a huge shortfall in emergency funding needed to help families left destitute by recent heavy flooding in Sindh province. Save the Children is one of the few international agencies currently delivering aid in southern Sindh.

At least 3 million children are at risk of malnutrition and disease as world ignores aid funding plea for Pakistan floods, Save the Children warns. Many of these children are still recovering from the worst floods in the country’s history that struck just one year ago.

Only 9% of the £233 million (NZ$470 million) required by the UN's emergency appeal has so far been raised, prompting fears that millions of people will be left without food and water if more money is not found.

The UN says that food and water supplies could run out within weeks and is warning that a third of those affected could be without medical care in a month’s time. Emergency shelter supplies will run out in the next few weeks, according to the UN.

At least 5.5 million people have been affected by the flooding after torrential rains caused river banks to burst and overflow in late August. The disaster left 1.8 million people displaced and forced many to flee to roadsides, railway tracks and schools in search of shelter.

Save the Children New Zealand is contributing NZ$100,000 from our own funds to help bring emergency relief to children and their families affected by the latest floods in Pakistan.

Save the Children has so far reached more than 240,000 people with life saving support. We aim to provide support to 1 million people, including 600,000 children in four of the worst hit districts: Badin, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar and Tando Allahyar. 

Pakistan floods case study: three-year-old Mushtaq 

Mushtaq, three, lives in Gharo, in Sindh province, Pakistan.The downpours left his village in Badin underwater. Mushtaq and his family of seven found refuge in a relief camp set up in a government run school near Badin city.

Hanif, Mushtaq's father said:
“Mushtaq has been very weak since he was born. Ever since we moved to the camp he has lost even more weight and has become lethargic as well. He does not talk or play like other children of his age. There are no health facilities at our camp and we do not have sufficient food to feed our entire family. When we arrived here I took him to a local clinic but the medicines prescribed by the doctor were too expensive.”

David Wright, Country Director for Save the Children Pakistan said:

"Children are distressed and are living in desperate conditions with families barely able to feed themselves. Their stocks of food have been wiped out by flooding and they don't have the money to buy food. Some people are still completely cut off from help. We are on the ground saving children's lives, but the need is huge. The world has to face up to what is happening here and fill the funding gap so aid agencies can reach millions more people."
With most aid agencies focusing on delivery of supplies to the districts of Badin and Mirpur Khas, Save the Children is also the first to start reaching out to communities in new areas such as Sanghar where 900,000 people have been affected, according to local authorities.

The children's charity has delivered food rations to 5,000 families in the district of Sanghar. Only 145,000 people of those affected in this district are receiving assistance in camps and the rest are fending for themselves.

"In Sanghar, people are living in makeshift shelters made from rushes and sticks and most families are surviving on small portions of rice, bread and vegetables. Children and families are drinking from floodwater contaminated with sewage. Floodwater is four feet high so access for aid agencies is extremely difficult. Without funds, helping these people is going to be impossible." Wright added.
Save the Children aims to provide support to 1 million people, including 600,000 children in four of the worst hit districts: Badin, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar and Tando Allahyar.
Save the Children has been working in Pakistan for more than 30 years and is already supporting nearly seven million people in the country.


Save the Children in Pakistan
Save the Children New Zealand is contributing NZ$100,000 from our own funds to help bring emergency relief to children and their families affected by the latest floods in Pakistan.
Last year, we launched our biggest ever emergency response for Pakistan when devastating floods hit and thanks to the generosity of supporters Save the Children reached 4 million people, 1.8 million of whom were children. New Zealanders contributed nearly $350,000 towards the emergency and helped Save the Children globally to help children and families in Pakistan.

Save the Children has been working in Pakistan for more than 30 years and is already supporting nearly seven million people in the country.


Our Children’s Emergency Fund
By donating to our Children’s Emergency Fund you can help us save more children’s lives. Children are extremely vulnerable when disaster strikes and the sooner we arrive, the more children we can save.

Save the Children New Zealand established the Children’s Emergency Fund in 2010 to enable us to fund emergency responses quickly and effectively.

Recently, our Children’s Emergency Fund has been used to help deliver the Journey of Hope programmes in Christchurch and assist with emergency responses in Japan.


Media interest
Save the Children’s Khurram Masood is in Pakistan and available for media interviews. You can email Khurram at khurram.masood@savethechildren.org or call +92-301-850-4790.