Ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries for children, Pakistan illustrates how environmental shocks disproportionately impact those least responsible for causing them.

The 2022 floods triggered an immediate and severe public health crisis among children. In Sindh and Balochistan, surveys by UNICEF and WHO revealed alarming rates of acute malnutrition: over one in nine children were affected, with 5.2% suffering from severe acute malnutrition and another 10.5% moderately malnourished. These figures exceeded national averages and pointed toward a deepening child hunger emergency. With crops destroyed and livestock lost, families struggled to provide adequate nutrition, increasing the risk of long-term developmental issues such as stunting.

Malnutrition also heightened children's vulnerability to disease, compounding the crisis. As floodwaters stagnated, they created ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, leading to surges in malaria and dengue. In the first eight months of 2022 alone, Pakistan reported over 3.4 million suspected malaria........

© The Express Tribune