News
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Hundreds of children missing in flood-affected areas* Aid agencies concerned about children separated from parents in flood-hit areas
* UNHCR to set up special centres in all provinces to facilitate missing children
ISLAMABAD: International aid agencies carrying out relief activities in flood-hit areas of Pakistan have estimated that half of the 20 million parents have separated from their children during the recent floods in Pakistan.
Local populations in most of the affected areas had to move to safer places, leaving behind all their belongings to secure their lives, as the magnitude of devastations by floods was huge.
After the passage of more than one month, floodwater in most parts of the affected areas is receding.
According to international aid agencies, many affected families have reported their children as missing.
A spokesperson of the British organisation “Save the Children” expressed his concerns on this situation as he thinks the children are unsafe. He said that it is difficult at this juncture to estimate the precise number of missing children. However, he opined that this number could be in hundreds.
The spokesperson further said that “Save the Children” is vigorously working along with other organisations to search and hand over these children to their parents. In some cases, they have been successful in getting these children back to their parents.
UNHCR official Humaira Mehboob said her organisation has decided to establish special welfare centres to facilitate the missing children.
OXFAM chief in Pakistan Mona Khan says that the parents of many separated children are not even sure whether they are alive or not.
She added that searching these children is itself a big challenge.
Earlier, the International Committee of Red Cross had expressed its concerns as many children have separated from their parents during floods and particularly in affected areas of Balochistan.
However, the ICRC could not reach the correct number of missing children as well. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk