South Asian floods will hit families for months to come says Save the Children New Zealand

The aftermath of the current flooding in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan will take its toll on children in the region for many months, according to Save the Children New Zealand, which is responding in all three countries.

John Bowis, Save the Children NZ Executive Director, said: “This is the worst flooding we’ve seen for nearly a decade and it will affect children for months to come. Children are already facing a lack of food, lack of water and are at risk of disease from dirty flood water and infections.”

Rebuilding their lives will take a long-term effort as the floods have destroyed homes, crops and people’s way of making a living. Children’s education is suffering as their schools have been destroyed or are being used as shelters for families that were displaced by the floods.

There is a real risk of longer-term food shortages because farmers will not be able to replant crops destroyed in the floods until the waters subside. "This could take months," said Mr Bowis.

He added that weather patterns across the region and the world seemed to be getting ever less predictable and more extreme, making it harder for farmers to grow food because crops fail more often in droughts and floods.

“These are some of the most disaster-prone communities in the world who are battered by monsoons year after year, leaving them increasingly vulnerable. The weather is increasingly severe and unpredictable, which is a pattern that fits with the predictions made by climate change experts. If these events are linked to climate change then we can expect to be faced with more natural disasters, which hit the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest.”

Save the Children New Zealand has launched an urgent appeal for children in South Asia who are currently affected by floods.

To donate to the appeal call Save the Children Emergency Appeal Lines:

0800 167 168 to make a donation of your choice; or

0900 67 168 to make an automatic $25 donation; or visit www.savethechildren.org.nz

Save the Children is already responding on the ground. Staff and local partners have been providing shelter, clean water, healthcare hygiene equipment and school supplies for more than 15,000 families across Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.