Over 20 mn Pakistanis rely on underfunded floods aid as winter sets in: UN

More than 20 million people in Pakistan continue to depend on humanitarian aid and the needs will grow as winter sets in, said UN humanitarians.

Critical humanitarian needs in Pakistan remain as more than 20 million people continue to depend on humanitarian aid although reconstruction efforts begin in some areas, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday.

“In support of the government response, our humanitarian partners have reached more than 4.7 million people with aid since the onset of the floods,” the office added.

“Our partners have also helped 125,000 children to resume their education, including through more than 500 temporary learning centres. However, schools remain inaccessible for more than two million children.”

Even though about 2.6 million people received food assistance through the UN and its partners, OCHA said that as winter arrives, more resources are urgently needed, Xinhua news agency reported.

To date, only 23 per cent of the $816 million floods response plan has been received, said the office.

–IANS

int/khz/

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