Reduce the impact of floods on communities, particularly women, children, people with disabilities and elderly people in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
11 in 13 children
dies before their 5th birthday.
34M
people live below the poverty line.
14k
women die each year during childbirth.
THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN PAKISTAN
Pakistan, ranked 164th out of 193 countries on the Human Development Index, invests little in the health sector: only 3.4% of its GDP is allocated to it. Women and children are among the main victims of the health system’s failure.
The public health system is extremely fragile in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas that have experienced multiple crises, armed conflicts and natural disasters. The supply of services is insufficient, and there is a severe shortage of qualified medical staff, equipment and essential medicines.
A natural disaster that worsened the situation
In 2022, an exceptionally intense monsoon following a major drought caused heavy rainfall, glacier melt and runoff effects on parched soils from early July to late August. These torrential monsoon rains damaged or destroyed nearly 1,400 health facilities.
The entire national health network was weakened, even as needs were more pressing than ever. Indeed, 50% of the Pakistani population already lacked access to primary health care services.
Crossed by major waterways, the Nowshera and Charsadda regions in the north were particularly affected by the deluge. Pakistan launched an appeal for international aid and declared a state of emergency on August 26 of the same year to address the disaster.
Photo: Saiyna Bashir
OUR HUMANITARIAN ACTION INPAKISTAN
Following the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, Médecins du Monde has concentrated its interventions to meet the health and nutrition needs of affected populations.
Médecins du Monde in Pakistan: Being there before, during and after a humanitarian crisis.
Present in Pakistan since 1996, Médecins du Monde has therefore refocused its activities to provide emergency medical aid in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. From its base in Peshawar, in the northwest of the country, mobile clinics have been deployed in several districts to reach populations affected by flooding as well as displaced persons.
Essential activities, especially as humanitarian aid and access to populations sometimes prove very complicated, even almost impossible. Some areas are inaccessible due to armed clashes or geographical constraints when villages located in high mountains are cut off from main roads.
Here are some concrete actions deployed in Pakistan:
Provided primary health care consultations, including prenatal and postpartum care
Provided consultations on sexuality and reproduction for adolescents and women
Organized screening campaigns
Set up residential tents
Donated medicines and equipment to public health facilities
