Flood-stricken children

More bad news in the aftermath of the recent floods has been revealed by Unicef. The organisation claims that schools for more than two million children in Pakistan remained inaccessible as severe flooding has destroyed 27,000 schools in the country. This has significantly increased the risk of child labour, exploitation, child marriage and school drop-outs. While efforts are being made to provide relief to affected communities, a lack of concerted and coordinated response has been witnessed. As a result, efforts are not yielding the required results.

A crisis of such magnitude requires all hands on deck. This means that the government, civic bodies, NGOs, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders must take responsibility and help the nation get out of this crisis. It is evident that among the worst affected from this year’s floods are children who have been forced to live in deplorable conditions — majority are suffering from malnutrition due to lack of essential food items while also dealing with deadly diseases amid lack of medical facilities. We have yet to fully comprehend this fact. This calls for initiating wide-scale programmes by bringing on board relevant stakeholders, especially the pharmaceutical sector, to provide essential commodities to suffering children. While NGOs are also working to provide educational training and psychological care to affected communities, private schools, which have recently mushroomed in number, need to open their doors and incorporate impoverished flood-stricken children into their walls.

The future of two million Pakistani children is at stake means that the future of this country is at stake. The rights of children must be protected and upheld by those who have taken the constitutional oath. This is not a charitable cause but rather a responsibility that every Pakistani must own up to.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2022.

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