Devastating floods have affected the lives of more than 2.5 million people in Pakistan. As the result of this emergency spell, more than 1.5 million people have lost their houses, lands, food security and hope. Women and children become the most vulnerable groups so Save the Children is using its expertise to establish Child Friendly Spaces that reduce the effect of trauma and support the emotional health and resilience of children. Through these Child Friendly Spaces, Save the Children provides psychosocial support and creative learning activities. From July 2010 to date, Save the Children has provided psychosocial support to 151,436 children over the country through 234 Child Friendly Spaces in 10 districts of Pakistan.
In flood affected areas, the prevailing issues are child labor, physical abuse, stress, anger, early marriages and bullying. To ensure the safety of children in flood affected zones, Save the Children‟s Child Protection staff are launching a nationwide media awareness campaign for communities regarding child protection. Under this campaign, Save the Children will broadcast public services messages through print and electronic media, community street theatre, disseminate information and communication materials, and provide community awareness seminars and dialogues. The estimated direct stakeholders of this campaign are 3 million people and indirect beneficiaries will be 70% of the population of Pakistan.