Torrential monsoon rains, widespread flooding and deadly landslides in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal have affected more than four million children and are in urgent need of life-saving support.
The Covid – 19 pandemic containment and prevention measures add an additional complication to the mix, as the cases are increasing in some of the affected areas, the UNICEF said.
“Even for a region that is all-too-familiar with the devastating impact of extreme weather, the recent heavy monsoon rains, rising floods and continued landslides are creating a perfect storm for children and families affected,” said UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia Jean Gough,
INDIA
The UNICEF said that about 2.4 million children were affected in the floods in India. It said that over six million people across Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have been affected by the floods.
The UNICEF said that though flooding at this period of the year was common, this widespread scale of floods during mid-July was unusual. The UNICEF officials said that they were working with the Government and partners to respond quickly and effectively. They said that they were cooperating with Assam, which was widely flood impacted, to implement the COVID-19 adapted relief camp management guidelines and Child Friendly Spaces in select districts,
BANGLADESH
More than 2.4 million people are estimated to be affected by flooding, including around 1.3 million children in Bangladesh. The UNICEF said that it is estimated that more than half a million families lost their homes. The floods have come at a time when the country was still recovering from Cyclone Amphan,
NEPAL
More than a hundred people have died and 10,000 people, half of them children were affected in the floods that hit the country. About 20 districts have been affected. Apart from this, the country is also facing much hardship due to covid 19.
BHUTAN
The monsoon rains also had caused several hardships in the country with thousands of families affected.
