A Gender-Sensitive Emergency Response to Flood-Affected Areas in Pakistan

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change stands as the single most significant health threat facing humanity in the modern world. Intriguingly, climate change is not solely a geographical phenomenon; it profoundly impacts society, exacerbating inequalities for already marginalised groups, particularly women and children. Hence, climate change is far from being ‘gender-neutral’. As per UN Women, as the climate crisis unravels, women and girls face various forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and are less likely to overcome healthcare challenges, such as maternal issues, due to limited access to information, mobility, and decision-making abilities. These challenges are amplified in developing countries like Pakistan, which has been identified as one of the top 10 climate-vulnerable nations in the world.

In 2022, the devastating flood in Pakistan shook the entire nation, posing the greatest humanitarian crisis of the decade. The monsoon season brought with it disastrous floods that swept away not only homes and livestock, but also the livelihoods of millions of people, submerging 30 percent of the country under water. The UN estimated that over 33 million people were affected, with more than 2,100 lives lost and around 12,000 injured. Pakistan also faced massive economic losses, which amounted to over $30 billion. According to WHO, approximately 1,500 health facilities were damaged, significantly decimating the overall healthcare infrastructure in the affected areas.

These harrowing statistics are insufficient to capture the magnitude of devastation and challenges faced by marginalised segments of society, especially women and children. With the destruction of crops, inaccessible healthcare, water-borne and vector-borne diseases, 3.4 million children were at risk of malnutrition, 650,000 pregnant women and young girls in immediate need of assistance and vulnerable to escalating GBV. The crisis was further exacerbated by pre-existing structural gender inequities, aggravating issues like forced marriages, unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Such a pressing predicament necessitated the need for innovative impactful solutions to aid in mitigating the healthcare crisis precipitated by the floods. Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN), with its extensive network of free-of-cost tertiary and secondary care hospitals, along with its expansive primary care and public health initiatives, was duly equipped to address the crisis. Characterised by its multi-sectoral approach, diverse interventions, and gender-sensitive initiatives, IHHN’s transformative Primary Care Programme, marked by innovative preventive and curative interventions, has made a profound impact, benefiting over 9.2 million lives. This solid foundation equipped IHHN to be one the first organisations to launch its multi-sectoral, multi-layered, and gender-sensitive climate-resistant flood-relief programme in Sindh and Punjab in collaboration with UNFPA to facilitate sexual and reproductive health facilities, curb GBV, and empower women.

In poverty-stricken communities tormented by floods, IHHN emerged as a beacon of hope with its climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure and gender-sensitive emergency responses. It offered critical psychosocial support, and empowerment opportunities for women and girls in flood-affected areas, highlighting the necessity for inclusive climate resilience strategies.