Pakistan Floods - UNFPA Appeal 2010/2011

September 16 2010 - Pakistan is experiencing its worst monsoon flooding in at least 80 years. Government estimates put the number of people affected by the floods at 21 million. Millions of people have been displaced and over 1.8 million houses have been either damaged or destroyed. Assessments to establish the degree to which affected populations are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance continue. CIDA is supporting the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to provide emergency assistance and protection from gender-based violence (GBV) to a target group of 1.5 million women of reproductive age. Specifically UNFPA’s intervention aims to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in the flood-affected districts of Pakistan through the provision of emergency reproductive health/ basic emergency obstetric care services essential medicines supplies and medical equipment. UNFPA is also distributing 15 000 women’s hygiene kits and 20 000 newborn kits among the newly delivering mothers. In addition UNFPA is providing psychosocial support and conducting GBV awareness activities to address the gender-specific needs of crisis-affected women.