Following the severe flooding, Pakistan faces a health disaster that particularly affects women and children. Indeed, fever, dengue, and malaria have taken hold in some flooded areas of the country—epidemics that kill hundreds of thousands of people annually. The populations most exposed to these outbreaks are those living in tents after losing their homes to the floods.

In August 2022, the Sindh region in southern Pakistan was severely hit by torrential rains. These rains not only submerged the entire province and its inhabitants’ homes but also forced many to establish makeshift camps near their former residences. In this humid environment, epidemics find favorable conditions, mainly affecting vulnerable individuals.

Since June 2022, nearly 1,500 people (about 280 women and 500 children) have died due to the floods. By August 2022, over 15,000 malaria cases were officially reported in Sindh province. Since then, diarrheal diseases and infections have surged among the elderly, women, and children. The number of malnourished newborns is increasing, with one in two children suffering from growth retardation. The World Health Organization (WHO) painted a grim picture including diseases such as cholera, acute respiratory infections, and typhoid, all likely to worsen infant mortality rates in the country.

Worse still, the floods have destroyed or damaged more than 1,500 health facilities. In Khairpur, nearly 90% of local health centers are out of service or non-operational. Under these conditions, treating victims and displaced persons is challenging. Entire villages lack access to healthcare and are cut off from the rest of the country. The humanitarian crisis is becoming increasingly urgent. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), approximately 650,000 pregnant women are in flood-affected areas, with nearly 73,000 expected to give birth under these difficult circumstances just in September 2022. The thousands of delivery kits sent by UNICEF and UNFPA remain insufficient for these zones.

Moreover, humanitarian activity in these areas remains slow. The deployment of emergency infrastructure is limited and still requires innovation. Makeshift delivery rooms on small trailers and buses converted into clinics supplement the largely insufficient mobile clinics. According to UNFPA, over 3 million children require urgent humanitarian assistance. These children lack access to clean water, sanitation, and nutrition, while also facing heightened risks of abuse.

Psychologically, this situation heavily impacts children’s mental health and education. In this regard, the closure of most schools—damaged or destroyed by floods and occupied by displaced families—poses a major risk. To mitigate these negative effects, UNICEF has established temporary learning centers with recreational kits for children, offering a semblance of normalcy to those traumatized by the floods. However, this care remains partial and limited in inclusivity.