At least one in nine children in the areas of Pakistan impacted by the recent floods are experiencing severe acute malnutrition, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a release on Friday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2022) At least one in nine children in the areas of Pakistan impacted by the recent floods are experiencing severe acute malnutrition, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a release on Friday.
"In the aftermath of the devastating floods in Pakistan, health facilities are reporting alarming levels of severe acute malnutrition among children in affected areas," the release said. "More than one in nine children under five admitted to health facilities in flood-affected areas of Sindh and Balochistan were found to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition."
UNICEF said of the 22,000 children screened by health professionals since September 2022 at health facilities in flood-affected regions, more than 2,630 were diagnosed with "severe acute malnutrition."
The estimates are based on the pre-existing malnutrition prevalence of the latest National Nutrition Survey and show that some 1.6 million children could be suffering from severe acute malnutrition and are in need of urgent treatment in flood-affected areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces, the release said.
Over 25 million children and women across Pakistan, including more than 7 million children and women in flood-affected areas, require immediate access to essential nutrition services, the release also said.
UNICEF is working to expand nutrition services through 73 mobile health teams in the 84 flood-affected districts, the release added.
Since June, heavier than average monsoon rain has caused severe flooding across much of Pakistan resulting in death of 1,700 residents. In late August, the authorities declared a state of emergency and called on other countries and international organizations to provide all possible assistance to the population.
According to the Pakistani authorities, over 33 million people, or one in seven Pakistanis, have been affected by the devastating floods.
