Aug
31
U.N. leaders make urgent calls for more support
From the United Nations:
31 August 2010 – Top United Nations officials today urged the international community to boost their support for Pakistan’s flood victims, especially for the health and well-being of women and children who make up 70 per cent of the nearly 18 million people affected by the disaster.
“What I saw today has convinced me that we must step up our humanitarian operations to stave off a potential second wave of disease and misery for millions of families, especially the most vulnerable, children and women,” the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said following a visit to the Muzzafargarh district of Punjab province, one of the worst affected areas.
Anthony Lake toured the area with Josette Sheeran, head of the World Food Programme (WFP), who warned during a joint press conference in the capital, Islamabad, that there is a triple threat unfolding as the crisis widens and deepens.
“People have lost seeds, crops and their incomes leaving them vulnerable to hunger, homelessness and desperation – the situation is extremely critical. We urgently need continued and strengthened commitment to the people of Pakistan in this time of crisis.”
During their visit to Punjab, the two Executive Directors visited a school which has been turned into an emergency relief centre, where UNICEF hygiene kits were being handed out to families hit by the floods.
They also saw a WFP food distribution that included specialized ready-to-eat foods for infants and young children, designed to prevent the early ravages of malnutrition.
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