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UN: Millions of children, women at risk after cataclysmic floods in Pakistan
Millions of children and pregnant women are at risk in Pakistan's flood-hit regions and need urgent humanitarian assistance, the United Nation's International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said.
UNICEF said in a report that Children face waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to flooding in the South Asian nation.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said, nearly 600,000 pregnant women in flood-hit regions were in dire need of medical care and mental health services.
A report by the agency said: "Up to 73,000 women expected to deliver next month will need skilled birth attendants, newborn care, and support.”
Millions of women and girls also face the risk of gender-based violence, UNPF said, highlighting threats in regions where families are living in makeshift tent shelters with no access to toilets and proper sanitation.
Children are particularly prone to water-borne diseases like diarrhea, respiratory infection and skin diseases, UNICEF said.
Pakistan planning minister: floods cost at least $10 billion
According to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, nearly 1,200 people have lost their lives, while more than a million houses have been destroyed or damaged since mid-June.
According to state meteorologists, the South Asian country, which is among the top 10 nations in the world vulnerable to climate change, has received over 200% more rains this year than average monsoon showers.
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