UNICEF regrets poor response to $39 million appeal for Pakistan's flood-hit children

The devastating floods in Pakistan since June 14 have left more than 1,545 persons dead and thousands more injured

UNICEF has regretted that its funding appeal for over three million children in Pakistan's flood-affected areas was still less than a third of the $39 million it sought, according to a senior official.

“The rains and floods have already claimed the lives of more than 550 children. Without a significant surge in support, we fear many more children will lose their lives," UNICEF Pakistan chief field officer in Balochistan, Gerida Birukila, said.

“The world needs to come together and help the children in Pakistan. Together we can save lives by delivering life-saving health, nutrition and education services to every child in Pakistan who needs it the most,” Dawn newspaper quoted the representative of the United Nations Children's Fund as saying in Geneva on Tuesday.

She said that next week marked a month since catastrophic floods uprooted more than 3.4 million children from their homes in Pakistan.

The devastating floods since June 14 have left more than 1,545 persons dead and thousands more injured.

The floods have affected 33 million people in Pakistan, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Swelling waters have swept away villages, roads and bridges, and at one point inundated a third of Pakistan's territory.

“Even after three weeks, large parts of flood-affected areas are still submerged under water. Many of the roads and bridges have either been washed away or damaged. Thousands of families in 81 calamity-hit districts are still cut-off and desperately need support. Families have no food, clean water or medicines.