Cause of child mortality spike in southern Pakistan unclear, says UN body

A UN body has admitted it is unsure what has fuelled an increase in child mortality in southern Pakistan.

According to Hazem El Mahi of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, it is possible that numerous factors are driving up the number of fatalities in Sindh province, Arab News reports.

For instance, he said maternal and child malnutrition could be partly behind this problem, along with the prevalence of certain infections in the area.

Mr El Mahi went on to state that the UN is not yet aware of any fatalities among adults in Sindh province.

He confirmed that his organisation has started a joint assessment with the Pakistani government this week in order to get a better insight into what is happening in the area.

However, Mr El Mahi said the "real situation on the ground" is likely to remain unclear until the assessment has been completed.