UNICEF: 16 million children affected by South Asia floods

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Sat, 02 Sep 2017 - 05:30 GMT

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Sat, 02 Sep 2017 - 05:30 GMT

UNICEF Regional Director, Geert Cappelaere - cc UNICEF - Julia Zimmermann

UNICEF Regional Director, Geert Cappelaere - cc UNICEF - Julia Zimmermann

NEW YORK, Sept 2 2017: Nearly 16 million children are "in urgent need of life-saving support" as a result of the catastrophic flooding that has ravaged South Asia, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.

"Children have lost their homes, schools and even friends and loved ones," UNICEF South Asia Director Jean Gough was quoted by Voice of America on as saying on Saturday in a statement.

Gough said conditions could worsen as the torrential monsoon rains that have flooded the region continue.


UNICEF said the devastating floods have claimed nearly 1,300 lives and affected more than 45 million people since mid-August.

Flooding has occurred for two months in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, submerging hundreds of villages and forcing tens of thousands of people into relief camps.

The relief organization said more than 8 million people have been affected by the flooding in Bangladesh, including some 3 million children. Nearly 700,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed and almost 2,300 schools sustained damage.

The floods affected about 1.7 million people in Nepal, including some 353,000 who have been displaced from their homes. Nearly 2,000 schools have been damaged or demolished, impacting the education of almost 255,000 children.

Four states in India have suffered extensive damage, affecting over 31 million residents, including nearly 12.5 million children. An estimated 805,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. The education of almost one million students was disrupted after the floods damaged some 15,500 schools.

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