New Delhi: Nobel laureate Malala Yousufzai arrived in Pakistan’s Karachi on Tuesday to visit areas devastated by unprecedented monsoon flooding and to meet flood victims.
She is visiting the flood-affected areas to raise international awareness regarding the devastation caused by climate change in Pakistan.
Her visit aims “to help keep international attention focused on the impact of floods in Pakistan and reinforce the need for critical humanitarian aid”, her non-profit organisation, Malala Fund, said in a statement, reports Dawn.
According to the latest estimates, the floods in Pakistan have left 1,700 dead and displaced nearly eight million people in the country.
Malala fund grant
The Malala fund had earlier issued an emergency relief grant to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support flood relief efforts and “protect the wellbeing of girls and young women in Pakistan”.
The funding will also be used to deliver emergency education services to ensure girls continue their education. The assistance from the Malala Fund will help repair and rehabilitate ten damaged government schools for girls, the report said.
She is expected to extend assistance from the Malala Fund for flood relief.
Pakistan received more than usual monsoon rains leading to floods in many parts of the country. Reports suggest floods left a third of the nation underwater, causing damage to standing crops and roads and rail tracks in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
Nobel laureate and girls’ education campaigner Malala was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban at the age of 15. The shooting drew widespread international condemnation.
In 2014, Yousafzai became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17 in recognition of her efforts for children’s rights.