UN report says floods hit women’s privacy

ISLAMABAD: A United Nations report has revealed that women’s privacy and the sense of security among them have been affected adversely by floods in parts of Sindh. There have been many cases of violence against women, boys and girls.

So far, 232 centres have been established in flood-affected districts of Sindh where 41,000 children and 5,000 women are receiving services, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said in its update on flood situation.

Training on protection principles and humanitarian coordination has been delivered while mass radio coverage with child safety and protection messages was continuing, completed by interpersonal community-based communications reaching 10,000 community members so far.

Disappointed with the poor response from international donors to make contributions in cash and kind for flood-affected people in Sindh and Balochistan, the United Nations has decided to launch a revised response plan later this month.

For this purpose data from the recently completed joint UN-government Detailed Needs Assessment (DNA) was being currently analysed. The rapid response plan launched in September received only 27 per cent of the assessed funding requirements of $357 million.

The OCHA says some three million flood-affected people remain highly vulnerable and in need of immediate food assistance in Sindh and Balochistan. About 3.6 million people urgently require agricultural support to resume food production and income generation activities.

The World Food Programme (WFP) which is providing food to the flood-affected people has announced to hold fund-raising events in Pakistan and Dubai starting from January. The events will help WFP raise funds and awareness since it was facing critical shortfall of funds for the flood operations in flood-affected areas.

Source: Dawn

Date:11/11/2011