Pakistan
Pakistan is bordered on the West and North by Iran and Afghanistan, on the Northeast by China, and on the East by India.
The country gained independence in 1947 and under its first constitution in 1956 it was proclaimed an Islamic Republic - 98% of the population is Muslim. The national language is Urdu, and 23 other languages are also spoken, reflecting the country's many ethnic groups.
Pakistan is a very poor country, with nearly half the population of 161 million without access to even basic healthcare. In addition the literacy rate in Pakistan is low at 49% despite the fact that both the public and private sectors provide education services. Two thirds of Pakistan's population live in rural areas where literacy and access to basic services is further limited.
The devastating earthquake that hit northern Pakistan in October 2005 has further set back development. The disaster killed 73,000, of which 20,000 were children, injured another 128,000 people and severely damaged much of the regional infrastructure, homes and public services.
A number of communities within Plan programme areas were directly affected and Plan responded with immediate rescue efforts has continued to provide emergency medical supplies, food, blankets and tents. Short-term relief efforts have included the establishment of family camps and temporary schools for children. Plan is working with the government and other agencies to assist survivors. If you would like more information on Plan's ongoing reconstruction work, please contact us.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Pakistan
- More than a third of children under five suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
- More than one in ten children die before reaching the age of five
- Only a third of children go to primary school
- 38% of the population do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
