The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Pakistan has released a report on Wednesday, according to which 1,300 public schools were damaged due to heavy monsoon rains and floods in Sindh province in 2024, and thus 230,000 children are still studying. Lost to keep.
According to the report, out of these 1300 schools, 228 schools were completely destroyed, while education was stopped in more than 450 schools due to flooding.
In a statement accompanying the report, UNICEF Pakistan chief Abdullah Fazil said: ‘Due to the devastating effects of climate change, including heatwaves and floods, children are repeatedly missing out on education in Sindh.
“Pakistan is already facing an education emergency and more than 6.2 million children are out of school.
‘We hope that the rain water will subside quickly and the children will be able to go back to their classes.
However, he expressed apprehension that the prolonged closure of schools may reduce the chances of children returning.
Since July 1, 76 people, half of them children, have lost their lives due to monsoon rains across the province.
Flooding in rivers in Sindh province has inundated communities, leaving 140,000 children and families homeless in 10 disaster-hit districts.
According to the statement, UNICEF teams are rapidly assessing the needs of affected families and working with government and local partners on immediate and long-term plans to restore access to education facilities and ensure early recovery of victims. are doing
Sindh was the worst affected province during the devastating floods of 2022, where critical infrastructure including health and education facilities were destroyed overnight.
Affected families still struggling with the effects of past disasters are once again under the brunt of extreme weather, with children bearing the brunt of the cost.
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According to Abdullah Fazil, Monsoon has once again ruined lives across Pakistan. Children have lost their lives, homes and schools.
According to Abdullah Fazil: ‘We need urgent investment in educational facilities and services for children with the capacity to deal with the effects of climate change.
“We need a partnership of partners to innovate, develop adaptive capacities and minimize harm and create sustainable facilities for children in the face of climate change in a country vulnerable to climate change.” There is a need to form a coalition.’
Pakistan ranks 14th out of 163 countries in UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), where children face the ‘highest risk’ of climate change and its harmful effects, leading to child health. , education and future are at stake.
Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah supported the UNICEF report and said that during the 2022 floods, seven thousand government schools in Sindh were completely destroyed and 13 thousand schools were partially damaged. 50% of partially damaged schools have been restored.
Speaking to Independent Urdu, Syed Sardar Shah said: ‘The federal government has developed a plan to rebuild three thousand schools in Sindh. But funds have not been released yet.
“We recruited 65,000 new teachers during the last few years. In which 40 thousand teachers were trained. Apart from this, the text book has also been distributed to a large number of children.
But the biggest problem of the Sindh education department at the moment is infrastructure. School buildings get damaged due to heavy rains and floods. which are in dire need of reconstruction.’
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#Heavy #rains #Sindh #lakh #children #deprived #education #UNICEF
2024-09-13 15:54:13
Table of Contents
Pakistan Floods 2024: 230,000 Children Lost Access to Education in Sindh Province
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Pakistan has recently released a report highlighting the devastating impact of heavy monsoon rains and floods on education in Sindh province. According to the report, 1,300 public schools have been damaged, leaving 230,000 children without access to education [[1]. This crisis comes on the heels of the devastating floods of 2022, which affected 33 million people, including 16.5 million children, and resulted in 1,739 lives lost and over 2.2 million houses damaged or destroyed [[2].
The floods of 2022 had already severely impacted the education sector in Sindh, with critical infrastructure, including schools, damaged or destroyed overnight. Unfortunately, the recent floods have further exacerbated the situation, with 228 schools completely destroyed and education halted in over 450 schools due to flooding. UNICEF Pakistan Chief, Abdullah Fazil, has expressed deep concern over the repeated disruptions to children’s education in Sindh, citing the devastating effects of climate change, including heatwaves and floods [[1].
Pakistan is already facing an education emergency, with over 6.2 million children out of school. The prolonged closure of schools may reduce the chances of children returning to their studies, further exacerbating this crisis. Moreover, the floods have not only damaged schools but also left 140,000 children and families homeless in 10 disaster-hit districts [[1].
The situation is dire, and urgent action is required to restore access to education facilities and ensure the early recovery of affected communities. UNICEF teams are rapidly assessing the needs of affected families and working with government and local partners on immediate and long-term plans to address this crisis [[1].
The Sindh Education Minister, Syed Sardar Shah, has supported the UNICEF report and highlighted the enormous challenge of infrastructure development in the education sector. During the 2022 floods, 7,000 government schools in Sindh were completely destroyed, and 13,000 schools were partially damaged. Although 50% of partially damaged schools have been restored, the federal government has developed a plan to rebuild 3,000 schools in Sindh, but funds have not been released yet [[1].
Pakistan ranks 14th out of 163 countries in UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), where children face the highest risk of climate change and its harmful effects, including health, education, and future prospects [[1]. It is essential to invest in educational facilities and services that can adapt to the effects of climate change, ensuring sustainable and resilient infrastructure for children.
the recent floods in Sindh province have dealt a severe blow to the education sector, exacerbating an already dire situation. It is imperative that the government, UNICEF, and other stakeholders work together to restore access to education facilities, provide support to affected families, and develop sustainable infrastructure to mitigate the effects of climate change on children’s education in Pakistan.
References:
Pakistan’s Education Crisis Worsens: 230,000 Children Left Stranded Due to Floods in Sindh Province
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has released a disturbing report, highlighting the devastating impact of monsoon rains and floods on education in Pakistan’s Sindh province. According to the report, 1,300 public schools have been damaged, leaving 230,000 children without access to education [[1]]. The floods have not only destroyed schools but also claimed 76 lives, half of whom were children, since July 1 [[1]].
The crisis is not new to Pakistan, which is already facing an education emergency with over 6.2 million children out of school [[1]]. The situation has been exacerbated by the effects of climate change, including heatwaves and floods, which have repeatedly disrupted education in Sindh [[1]]. UNICEF Pakistan chief Abdullah Fazil emphasized the need for urgent investment in educational facilities and services that can withstand the effects of climate change [[1]].
The floods have also had a catastrophic impact on communities, leaving 140,000 children and families homeless in 10 disaster-hit districts [[1]]. UNICEF teams are working with the government and local partners to assess the needs of affected families and develop immediate and long-term plans to restore access to education facilities and ensure early recovery [[1]].
Pakistan ranks 14th out of 163 countries in UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), where children face the highest risk of climate change and its harmful effects [[1]]. The country is in dire need of a coalition to innovate, develop adaptive capacities, and minimize harm to create sustainable facilities for children in the face of climate change [[1]].
The Sindh Education Minister, Syed Sardar Shah, supported the UNICEF report, recalling the devastating floods of 2022, which destroyed 7,000 government schools in Sindh and partially damaged 13,000 schools [[1]]. While 50% of partially damaged schools have been restored, the minister acknowledged the need for further investment to address the education crisis [[1]].
A year ago, UNICEF reported that millions of children in Pakistan were still in need of urgent support following the catastrophic floods [[2]]. The situation has not improved, with 8 million people, including children, continuing to live without access to safe water in flood-affected areas [[2]]. Malnutrition was reaching emergency levels, and access to education was already a significant concern before the floods[[[3]].
The plight of children in Pakistan is a stark reminder of the need for collective action to address the climate crisis. The international community must come together to support Pakistan in building resilient education systems that can withstand the impacts of climate change. Only through urgent investment and collaboration can we ensure that children in Pakistan have a safe and secure future.
References:
[1] ReliefWeb. (2024). Education on hold for 230,000 children in Pakistan’s flood-affected Sindh.
[2] UNICEF. (2023). One year on from catastrophic floods, millions of children in Pakistan still need urgent support.
[3] NPR. (2023). Millions of children need aid a year after Pakistan’s devastating floods, UNICEF says.
