The European Union's humanitarian aid department has contributed US$5.6 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Pakistan, to protect children affected from water and sanitation diseases in the country's northwest, local media reported Monday.

The funds, sponsored by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), will be used to support improved access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for an estimated 1.49 million people, including 82,500 school-going children that are returning to or remained in the war affected areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federal Administered Tribal Area (FATA).

Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Country Representative in Pakistan was quoted as saying that "diarrhoea alone kills 120 children every day. Improving sanitation and safe water to ensure that such diseases don't increase and affect even more children in NWFP and FATA is a vital part of recovery and an investment in the future of these areas."

Even before the conflict between the government and Taliban militants began in Swat valley of NWFP in late April of 2009, only a quarter of rural households in FATA and half in NWFP had access to safe sanitation.

Of displaced persons about 60 percent were children, and those who stayed behind faced problems like lack of basic services or adequate food.

As people begin to return to areas where peace is being restored, the humanitarian community is expanding its focus to ensure that people in affected areas can rebuild their lives in a supportive and healthy environment.

The UNICEF is working with the Pakistani government and other partners in the Water and Sanitation Cluster to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and diarrhoea, which are worsened by lack of safe water and inadequate sanitation.

"Restoring infrastructure and building the capacity of the government and communities to sustain access to water and sanitation services is essential to ensure that returning populations can realize their rights to water and sanitation," said Martin Mogwanja.

(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2010)