In the light of recent floods that affected South Asia, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has released a report highlighting huge loss of children across the region due to the disaster.

16 million children were affected by massive flooding in South Asia, with millions more at risk, informed UNICEF’s latest press release on September 02, 2017. According to the release, all these affected children and their families are in urgent need of life-saving support.

Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, said, “Millions of children have seen their lives swept away by these devastating floods. There is a danger that the worst could still be to come as rains continue and flood waters move south.”

Country-wise Data of Child Victims

Country-wise data in UNICEF’s release shows:

• Around 3 million children (out of the total 8 million victims) in Bangladesh, with an estimated 696,169 houses, 2,292 primary and community schools damaged by floodwaters. Apart from this, more than 13,035 cases of water-borne diseases were also reported
• 680,000 child victims (out of 1.7 million victims) in Nepal, with more than 185,126 homes and 1,958 schools damaged, thus affecting the education of 253,605 children
• Four Indian states in northern India saw 12.33 million children out of the total 31 million victims, with around 805,183 houses (partially or fully) and 15,455 schools damaged, disrupting the education of nearly one million students

As an Immediate Support

In Nepal, UNICEF is working in collaboration with the government departments and other partners to launch and scale-up its relief measures for flood victims. The organization is planning for an intensified immunization programme in 16 flood-affected districts. A special focus will be laid on measures related to control Severe Acute Malnutrition.

UNICEF has so far provided over USD 320,000 worth relief material for Health, Nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Child protection and Education activities as an immediate support to Nepal’s flood victims.

In Bangladesh, UNICEF is preparing to provide emergency education services to around 6,000 children immediately. Apart from that, it is also establishing temporary transitional schools, learning spaces and organizing boat transportation for children and teachers for their commute to schools.

UNICEF is also undertaking relief and rescue measures in flood-affected Indian states.

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In the light of the flood situation in Nepal, the Office of UN Resident Coordinator Nepal has released a report titled ‘Flooding Response Plan (August 2017-February 2018)’, wherein, it sought global attention for supporting flood victims.

Under the plan, the Office aims at offering humanitarian assistance to around 1.7 million victims hit by the recent floods across 35 districts of the country.

As part of relief measures, the Office informed that the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is seeking USD 41.4 million to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to support the flood victims over the coming six months, under various sectors including Health, Nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Food Security, Protection, Shelter, Livelihood, Education and Early Recovery.

Sector-wise Funding Requirements

• USD 8 million assistance separately for WASH (targeting 800,000 people across 13 districts) & Nutrition (to cover 1 million people across 18 districts) and USD 3 million aid for Education sector (to cover 79,000 children and 1,975 teachers) from UNICEF
• USD 6.85 million Food Aid from World Food Programme (WFP) targeting 300,000 people across 10 districts
• USD 4.5 million from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) targeting 300,000 people across 10 districts
• USD 4.12 million from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) to support 300,000 population across 5 districts
• USD 3.4 million Early Recovery assistance from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) targeting 1.7 million across 10 districts
• USD 1.78 million Health assistance from WHO targeting 1.7 million population across 30 flood-hit districts
• USD 900,000 Protection assistance from UNFPA targeting 200,000 people across 11 districts
• USD 750,000 assistance from International Organization for Migration (IOM) for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) targeting 300,000 population across 7 districts
• USD 100,000 from United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office to support Humanitarian agencies and the Government of Nepal targeting 35 affected districts

Initial Rapid Assessment of Flood Situation

The Office, in its Initial Rapid Assessment (IRA) conducted across 28 districts, concluded that 1.7 million population was affected by the flooding in Nepal, with almost 65,000 houses destroyed, 460,000 people displaced, an estimated 19,000 people currently residing in informal displacements sites including schools and some 40 communities remaining inaccessible.

The recent floods have badly hit the country’s critical infrastructure, said the report, informing that around 80 schools across 28 districts (710 damaged) and 10 health posts (64 partially damaged) were destroyed. Around 64,000 hectares of standing crops have also been destroyed in the 10 worst-affected districts of the country.

According to the report, this situation will affect communities’ livelihood and compromise food security, as food stocks have also been destroyed.

In terms of public health, the report informed that nutrition needs have increased since the onset of flooding with the average rate of global acute malnutrition (GAM) now beyond critical levels.

This situation will likely deteriorate further amongst children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women without emergency measures, it added.

According to the report, the governmental efforts including deployment of 27,000 security personnel and civil servants for measures and providing more than USD 11.3 million fund assistance could not completely suffice the humanitarian needs caused by the crisis.

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