Learning Loss in Pakistan following the disasters

This ArcGIS story map was developed to depict the impact of earthquakes and monsoon floods on the Education Sector over the last 17 years

The 2005's Earthquake

The 2008's Earthquake

  • The 6.4 earthquake that hit the town of Ziarat and surrounding areas in Balochistan Province in October 2008 had a devastating impact on school buildings
  • According to Balochistan Education Minister Shafiq Ahmed Khan, "The earthquake destroyed 98% of educational institutions in Ziarat, 50% in Loralai and Pishin, and 25% in Quetta." There were approximately 150 primary, secondary, and high schools in Ziarat, and most of them were damaged by the earthquake  Pakistan: Nearly all schools in Ziarat town destroyed by recent quake | PreventionWeb 

The 2010's Monsoon Flood and the response

  • Floods—2010 affected 78 districts of Pakistan. The number of the affected population is more than 20 million along with almost 2,000 reported deaths   (Implication of Flood on Education Sector in Pakistan, 2010) 
  • In August 2010 the devastating floods in Pakistan have damaged almost 8,000 schools across the country
  • About 5,000 other schools have become shelters for the displaced

Damage due to 2010 Monsoon flood

Partners presence map during 2010 monsoon flood response

Source: ttps://reliefweb.int/map/pakistan/pakistan-education-cluster-who-what-where-district-19-august-2010

Assisted schools through rehabilitation and transitional school under 2010 monsoon flood

Source OCHA

The 2011's Monsoon Flood

  • The 2011 monsoon rains in Pakistan resulted in the deaths of 1,985 people and affected an estimated 20.1 million people
  • Affecting up to 1.3 million children.
  • The education response focus thus far has been on the ‘hardware’ aspects of education – rehabilitating and rebuilding schools. Not enough attention has been given to quality learning practices within TLCs and schools  (Education Cluster in Pakistan, 2020) 

The 2022 Monsoon Flood

  • This catastrophic flood has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people and more than 33 million, have been affected by the flooding
  • The flooding and landslides damaged 34, 204 schools and about 7,000 schools became shelter for flood affected people
  • It affect up to 2.2 million school age children
  • The Government of Pakistan and the United Nations jointly launched the Flood Response Plan 2022 which will run from September 2022 to May 2023
  • The response plan aims to reach 700,000 school-aged children through 10 selected education support activities

Fully and partially damaged schools due to monsoon flood 2022

Devastated school building following monsoon flood 2022, in Balochistan province

Source: UNICEF Pakistan Country Office

Devastated damaged school following monsoon flood 2022

Source: UNICEF Pakistan Country Office

Washed away school teaching material due to monsoon flood 2022

Source: UNICEF Pakistan Country Office

Damaged school due to monsoon flood 2022

Source: UNICEF Pakistan Country Office

Damaged schools due to monsoon flood 2022

Source: UNICEF Pakistan Country Office

Why Education in Emergency (EiE)?

  • It refers to the quality learning opportunities for all ages in situations of crisis
  • It provides physical, psychosocial, and cognitive protection that can sustain and save live
  • It is essential in conflicts, situations of violence, disasters forced displacement ( INEE, 2018 )

Flood response plan 2022

  • The Government of Pakistan and UN jointly launched the Flood response plan 2022, which launched in September 2022 last 31 May 2023
  • The response plan target 700, 000 school age children to reach by 10 selected education support activities.
  • As of 25 January 2023, Pakistan Education Sector Working Group's 5W data, 24 lead agencies and 47 implementing partners reached 168,000 affected children in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab provinces (Source: Pakistan Education Sector Working Group 5W data)
  • Have an operational presence in 53 districts of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab provinces

Education Sector partners response to EiE

Eight-year-old Daniyal and his family lost everything when floodwaters swept through their village in Pakistan's Balochistan Province in late July 2022. He and his little brother, Hakim, are still terrified by the memory "The flood water that came instilled fear in their minds," said Abida Channa, a teacher at the school. "Maybe this is their first time experiencing a disaster. And then there were all the collapsed buildings. This can really affect children."

  • General footage from two TLCs (one for girls, one for boys) set up by UNICEF in an Afghan community whose two schools have been washed away by the floods
  • A Temporary Learning Centre (TLC) set up by UNICEF and the Government of in Balochistan’s province, Nad Naziabad District
  • Pubina, (in green), says that she came here with her sister, Farida Noorullah, (in yellow) to learn in newly established TLCs. Her sister Farida, says that she came to the center because she wants to become a doctor

HOPE’87 under its project “Access for out of school Children to Education and Safe Schools in Pakistan” (AcCESS) funded by ECHO & ADC is responding to the Education in Emergency needs after the floods. The emergency response is organized jointly with Ministry of Elementary & Secondary Education (MoE&SE) in district Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province

HOPE’87 dewatering in district Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan 2022

HOPE’87 dewatering response in district Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province

HOPE’87 dewatering response in district Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan 2022

Temporary Learning Centre established by Islamic Relief Pakistan in Qambar Shahdad Kot district

Temporary Learning Centre established by Islamic Relief Pakistan in Qambar Shahdad Kot district

School bag kits supplies by Islamic Relief Pakistan in Qambar Shahdad Kot district, Pakistan

Partners presence Map

Source: Pakistan Education Sector Working group 5W matrix as December 31, 2022

Education response performance

Source: Pakistan Education Sector Working group 5W matrix as of 25 January 2023

Funding status for Pakistan flood response Plan 2022,

Source: Pakistan Education Sector Working group

Conclusion

Pakistan has been affected by multiple natural disasters in the past two decades, resulting in significant damage to educational institutions and disruption to the education of millions of children. Despite efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate schools, there is still a need for improved education response in emergency situations, particularly in terms psychosocial support for affected children, rehabilitation of damaged schools, of the quality of learning practices within temporary learning centers and schools.  Rebuilding Pakistan’s education system will require coordinated effort, resources and the smart sequencing of interventions  . Even though, the ongoing Flood Response Plan 2022 aims to address this issue and provide educational support to affected children by end of May 2022, the rehibition work still below 10 percent and the received funding also only 32% of the required budget.