Since early August, floods across Northwest Pakistan have cast out nearly 21 million people from their homes and villages. UNFPA estimates that there are 500,000 pregnant women in this displaced population. Everyday approximately 1,700 of these women go into labor and over 250 suffer complications during birth.
Maternal mortality is already high in Pakistan with 320 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The conditions created by the floods have exacerbated women’s lack of access to proper health care and skilled delivery making women more vulnerable to high-risk pregnancy and labor. Women fleeing the floods experience exhaustion, dehydration, poor hygiene and malnutrition which all contribute to poor labor conditions such as anemia and hypertension.
While international donors have already given $3.5 million (USD) to date, UNFPA estimates that $12.6 million are needed over the next 12 months to address the growing displaced population. “We urgently need to scale up reproductive health care to the flood victims,” says Dr. Naseer Nizamani, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Pakistan. “The number of women who still lack assistance is enormous.”
In response to this emergency state for pregnant women, UNFPA has deployed obstetricians and midwives in 23 mobile teams operating in 14 health centers. Since the beginning of the flooding, these teams have attended 1,500 births, treated 300 women post-miscarriage, and have made 200 caesarean section referrals. Additionally UNFPA is offering and distributing clean delivery birth kits outside of medical facilities with essential drugs, equipment and supplies.
Read more about UNFPA’s efforts here.
Donate to Save the Children’s Pakistan Children in Emergency Fund, one of the largest non-governmental organization relief funds in Pakistan. Over the month of August, over 400,000 children and adults have been assisted by their relief efforts.
Photo: © UNICEF/NYHQ2010-1676/Ramoneda
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