Women in Pakistan Need Help: Impact of Floods on Females
The devastating floods and heavy Monsoon rains Pakistan has faced in the past couple of weeks have affected women the most which has led to a lack of sanitary products for many pregnant women and young girls. Many females are hesitant to talk about this issue since periods are considered taboo in the country.
The recorded flooding in the North-west provinces has affected more than 33 million individuals, killing 1,400 people - mainly targeting women. Across Sindh and Balochistan, over 1,400 health facilities were destroyed. Medical treatment and emergency supplies are washed away and the electricity courses are unsafe to use on pregnant women.
Individuals hailing from rural areas are denied access to hospitals and health centers due to road blockages in heavily flood-stricken regions. In temporary medical camps, pregnant women are treated. However, women and children stand in queues for hours at a time to receive medical treatment, many of whom suffer from water-borne diseases such as dysentery, malaria, and cholera.
According to estimations by the United Nation Population Fund, more than 8 million females have been negatively affected during these unprecedented times, with 1.6 million in need of humanitarian assistance. The UNPFA further warned, “Access to family planning and menstrual hygiene products can also be disrupted.”
Gender-based violence has also significantly risen during these unprecedented times. Living quarters and relief camps for individuals who lost their homes during the heavy rains are forced to share rooms with multiple individuals at a time - men and women together - increasing females’ potential exposure to physical violence with them sharing unsanitary bathrooms as well, that are located far off from their location.
Even before the recent heavy floods Pakistan faced, it still had the highest rate of maternal mortality in Asia. However, the situation is expected to further deteriorate in the coming weeks as more women lose access to safe and secure healthcare services.
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