To date, only $263.3 million have been received out of $816 million pledged to provide critical humanitarian assistance, including food, basic health and shelter for the affected.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator, Julien Harneis, the representative of the World Food Program, Chris Kaye, and the head of UNICEF Field Operations, Scott Whoolery, warned of the serious shortage of funds to meet the needs of those people.

They were also joined by the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Pakistan, Carlos Geha, and the representative of Save the Children, Ambreen Niazi.

The UN representatives stated that additional funds are needed to help people get through the winter, restore farming, livestock and subsistence activities and rebuilding their homes and communities.

WFP’s Chris Kaye said that between 8.4 and 9.1 million people may be pushed by floods below the poverty line, with more and more people turning to harmful coping mechanisms such as child labor, early marriage and human trafficking.

Three months after the floods, the situation has worsened, aggravated by increasing economic difficulties and now in winter, when many people remain exposed to the cold.

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