Pakistan is home to more than 100 million children - nearly half the country's population. Poverty, climate shocks, and gender inequality make it one of the most challenging places in the world to grow up.
We've been working in Pakistan since 1979. When floods swept through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in August 2025, we were already there.
The situation in Pakistan
Pakistan ranks fifth globally for climate risk, and children bear the heaviest burden when disaster strikes. But the threats children face here go far beyond floods.
Malnutrition is at emergency levels. Over 2.71 million children aged 6-59 months across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh are suffering from acute malnutrition - including around 706,000 with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), which can be fatal without treatment. Pakistan's global acute malnutrition rate stands at 17.7%, exceeding the emergency threshold.
Education remains out of reach for millions. Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children anywhere in the world - more than 25 million children are not in school, the second highest globally.
Child marriage persists at alarming rates. Pakistan ranks sixth globally for child marriages, with 18% of children married before the age of 18. Girls in rural Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan face the highest rates. Education is the single most effective deterrent - women with no formal education are more than ten times more likely to be married before 18 than those who complete secondary school.
When disaster strikes: the 2025 floods
On 15 August 2025, devastating monsoon floods swept through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the districts of Swat, Shangla, and Buner among the hardest hit. Over 800 people lost their lives across Pakistan during the monsoon season, including more than 200 children.
Wareesha (7) and Hijab (10) at a Child-Friendly Space in Buner.
Schools, health centres, and homes were destroyed almost overnight. Children like 7-year-old Wareesha* from Buner lost everything - her home, her school, and for a while, her sense of safety. After the floods, she became withdrawn and stopped playing with other children.
Save the Children set up a Temporary Learning Centre (TLC) in Wareesha's village, giving her somewhere safe to learn, play, and begin healing. "When I came to the TLC, I felt happy because I could play games, draw, and sit with my friends," she said.
Since 20 August 2025, our response has included:
Essential medical care provided to 2,988 individuals, including 861 children
Hygiene and household kits distributed to 600 families across Buner, Shangla, and Swat
15 child-friendly safe spaces opened
Protecting children from violence and exploitation
We work to protect children who are at risk of violence, abuse, or exploitation - including through child labour. Many children in Pakistan work long hours in dangerous conditions to support their families. We help them leave work and return to school by supporting families to find alternative sources of income.
Our work on child marriage combines national-level advocacy for legal reform with community-based programmes that support girls' education and shift social norms. Evidence consistently shows that keeping girls in school - particularly through secondary education - is the most effective way to delay and prevent child marriage.
Supporting children's health from the start
Pakistan has the second highest under-5 mortality rate in Asia. We are working to change that.
We're supporting community health systems and training health workers to identify and treat malnutrition early - including in hard-to-reach rural areas. We're also running programmes focused on maternal and newborn health, ensuring that mothers and babies get the care they need before and after birth.
We support the government's immunisation efforts, reaching children who have never received a single life-saving vaccine - including in Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Keeping children learning
Pakistan has one of the world's largest out-of-school populations. We support children's education from early years through to secondary school, with a particular focus on girls, children with disabilities, and those affected by conflict or disaster.
Our Literacy Boost programme trains teachers and supports parents and communities to build children's reading skills from the ground up. When schools are damaged or destroyed by floods, we establish Temporary Learning Centres quickly - so children don't lose months of education at the moment they need stability most.
Page last updated May 2026
*Names changed to protect identities
