Pakistan: 2022 Monsoon Floods - Situation Report No. 16 (As of 8 May 2023)

This report is produced by OCHA in Pakistan in collaboration with humanitarian partners. The report covers the period from 6 February 2023 to 8 May 2023. The next report will be issued on or around 8 June 2023.

HIGHLIGHTS / KEY FIGURES

• There is a looming nutrition crisis: the number of children suffering from wasting in Pakistan’s flood-affected areas had greatly increased compared to the pre-flood situation, which was already reaching emergency levels.

• A rapid survey by UNICEF in 15 flood-affected districts reveals that onethird of children aged 6-23 months suffer from moderate acute malnutrition, and 14% suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a lifethreatening form of malnutrition.

• The rate of severe acute malnutrition in Pakistan is twice that of the South Asian region and four times higher than the global average.

• The United Nations in Pakistan dedicates US$5.5 million out of the US$6.5 million allocation received from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) towards emergency nutrition and food security interventions in flood impacted areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

• According to the latest WFP Market Monitor Report, Pakistan's Headline inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the highest it has been in the past 49 years, having increased by 31.55 per cent in February 2023 compared to February 2022.

• Since April 2023, heavy rainfall and flashfloods have tragically caused the death of 19 people, injured more than 10, and destroyed properties, bridges, highways, crops, and livestock.

• By the end of April, the government of Pakistan & humanitarian partners reached over 7.7 million people in flood-affected areas with provision of life-saving assistance.

• The Pakistan Floods Response Plan is only 58.8 per cent funded of the US$816 million appeal.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

In Pakistan acute malnutrition in children is exacerbated by inadequate nutrition, sanitation, food price inflation, and limited access to essential nutrition services, especially in flood-affected areas based on a study conducted by UNICEF. One in five children under five years of age is wasted. The rate of severe acute malnutrition in Pakistan is twice that of the South Asian region and four times higher than the global average. Additionally, Pakistan has one of the highest burdens of lowbirth weight babies, with a national average of 22.7 per cent, and up to 50 per cent in some provinces.

According to the latest WFP Market Monitor Report, Pakistan's Headline inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the highest it has been in the past 49 years, having increased by 31.55 per cent in February 2023 compared to February 2022. This inflation rate is significantly higher than that of Pakistan's neighboring countries, Afghanistan (3.6%), India (6.4%), and Bangladesh (8.8%). The effects of this extreme inflation are devastating, particularly for populations affected by flooding, as it becomes increasingly difficult to provide food for their families.

The United Nations in Pakistan dedicates US$5.5 million out of the US$6.5 million allocation received from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) towards emergency nutrition and food security interventions. The funds will help UNICEF, WFP, WHO and NGOs to provide emergency nutrition interventions as part of the Government-led flood response in the most vulnerable communities of Balochistan and Sindh, with OCHA coordinating.

Since April, Southwestern Pakistan, especially the Balochistan Province, has experienced heavy rainfall resulting in rivers overflowing, flash floods, fatalities, and destruction of social infrastructure. Five people have been reported dead, two bridges have been damaged, and two major highways connecting Balochistan to the Sindh Province have been temporarily closed. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, many districts have been affected by rainfall, leading to landslides, severe weather-related incidents, casualties, and destruction of property and crops. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported 13 deaths, 11 injuries, 24 damaged or destroyed houses and over 100 cattle perished. Additionally, a landslide in the Torkham area of district Khyber on 18 April caused the death of four people. The already difficult living conditions of people affected by the 2022 flooding in Pakistan have been further exacerbated by the rain, making them even more vulnerable to future flooding.

OCHA Pakistan has embarked on an inter-agency contingency planning process based on the 2022 flood lessons learned. So far, consultations have been done with a broad range of stakeholders drawn from Government, NGOs, Red Cross Movement and the Humanitarian Actors. In the contingency plan, standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been included to guide in the pre-disaster phase and help in activating coordination mechanisms when disasters strike. Operationally, OCHA field offices are engaging with provincial and district disaster management authorities on preparedness for response. Further, at national level OCHA has been advocating for the establishment of the National Strategic Coordination Forum with membership drawn from NDMA, Planning Commission, UN, and NGOs at strategic level.

By the end of April, the government of Pakistan & humanitarian partners reached over *7.7 million people in flood-affected areas with provision of life-saving assistance. The Food Security and Agriculture Sector provided life-saving assistance to 7.1 million people, the Shelter and Non-Food Item (NFI) Sector to 3.4 million people, the Health Sector to 3.7 million people, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector to 2.5 million people, the Nutrition Sector to 1.2 million people, the Education Sector to 0.3 million people, and the Protection Sector to 2.1 million people, in flood-affected areas of Pakistan.