Education on Hold for 230,000 Kids in Flood-Affected Sindh, Pakistan

Over 230,000 students in Sindh province face disrupted education due to severe monsoon floods, with more than 1,300 schools damaged, including 228 completely destroyed, UNICEF revealed in a report yesterday.

The floods have left over 450 schools non-operational due to standing water, exacerbating an already critical education emergency where 26.2 million children are out of school.

UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, emphasized the urgent need for climate-resilient schools, stating, “Children are repeatedly locked out of learning due to climate shocks.” Since July, the monsoon has claimed 76 lives, half of whom were children, displacing 140,000 families across 10 districts.

UNICEF teams are conducting rapid needs assessments and coordinating with local partners to restore education access. Fadil highlighted the necessity for immediate investment in education and services, urging a coalition to innovate and adapt solutions for children in this climate-vulnerable region. Pakistan ranks 14th on UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index, indicating extremely high risks for children’s health and education.