Islamabad [Pakistan], November 11 : The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative Abdullah Fadil appealed to the Pakistan government for immediate efforts to reduce air pollution as 11 million children are in danger after breathing toxic air in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
According to a report by Dawn, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Punjab has crossed 400 in seven districts with Sialkot recording 774.
Due to the poor air quality, schools have been closed until November 17 and the locals have been exempted from visiting public parks, zoos, playgrounds and museums. These measures are taken to reduce public exposure to smog, the Dawn reported.
The UN Fund in Islamabad also stated that the poor air quality broke records in Lahore and Multan. This hazardous air hospitalised many people including dozens of children in the province.
Fadil, the Fund's representative in Pakistan, said, "I am extremely concerned about the well-being of young children who are forced to breathe polluted, toxic air. Over 11 million children under five years of age are exposed to this smog in the worst-affected districts."
The Dawn reported that Fadil further expressed his grief and said, "Before these record-breaking levels of air pollution, about 12 per cent of deaths in children under five in Pakistan were due to air pollution."
He highlighted that the rise in "extraordinary smog" will have adverse effects on children as well as pregnant women. He emphasised, "When pregnant women are exposed to polluted air, they are more likely to give birth prematurely, face respiratory issues, and their babies may have a low birth weight. We cannot afford to let our babies breathe toxic air. We cannot let the health, education and well-being of millions of children suffer."
He appealed to the Pakistan government to take immediate action as it is the right of every child to breathe clean air.