Children of Disaster: Helping Children Recover from the Trauma of Pakistan Floods

Abstract

Pakistan is amongst the world's most vulnerable countries to natural disasters and climate change, but the country was not prepared for a disaster of such scale- the unprecedented floods of 2022. The floods submerged nearly a third of the country, affected more than 33 million people and have taken more than 1700 lives, approximately 600 of them children.1 Government declared 72 out of 160 districts to be disaster zones and earlier estimates put the cost of destruction at more than $10 bn.1 The situation is still evolving, with flood waters stagnant in many areas, and more than 8 million displaced people now facing a health crisis. The disaster after the disaster is looming.