United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Children in Pakistan face a variety of serious challenges ranging from malnutrition and poor access to education and health facilities to exploitation in the form of child labour. Their low status in society can leave them victim to daily violence at home and in school as well as to organised trafficking and sexual exploitation. Girls are specially affected as conservative attitudes may impede them attending or finishing school. Recent natural disasters have increased the vulnerability of thousands of children. In 2005 a devastating earthquake killed an estimated 73,000 people, leaving 3.3 million people de homeless.

• By March 2008, Pakistan will have completed a measles campaign to immunize more than 63 million children.
• More than half a million girls were enrolled in school for the first time in 25 UNICEF-assisted districts from 2005 to 2007.
• A comprehensive Child Protection Bill drawn up with UNICEF support is currently under government review. When approved it will criminalize abuses and violence against children, raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 years and ban corporal punishment.
• UNICEF is working with the authorities to improve water quality, promote household latrines and hygiene practices and support school-based water and sanitation in focus districts.
• UNICEF has supported the rehabilitation of 400 water schemes serving about 320,000 people in earthquake-affected areas.