More than 10 million people, including children, still lack access to safe drinking water six months after catastrophic floods hit Pakistan, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

"Safe drinking water is not a privilege, it is a basic human right," said Abdullah Fadil, the UNICEF representative in Pakistan. "Yet, every day, millions of girls and boys in Pakistan are fighting a losing battle against preventable waterborne diseases and the consequential malnutrition."

Among the waterborne diseases spread by "widespread" outbreaks of cholera, diarrhea, dengue, and malaria, UNICEF warns that the lack of safe drinking water and proper toilets, and stagnant water are contributing factors.

UNICEF notes that the lack of proper toilets "disproportionately affects children, adolescent girls, and women, who are at increased risk of shame and harm when defecating outside."

Unsafe water and poor sanitation are also "key underlying causes" of malnutrition. UNICEF highlights that a third of all child deaths globally are attributable to malnutrition, while half of all undernutrition cases are linked to infections caused by a lack of access to safe water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene.

More than 1.5 million children in Pakistan's flood-affected areas are already severely malnourished, and UNICEF expects the number to rise. Malnutrition is associated with half of all child deaths in the country.

Floods triggered by severe monsoon rains last year submerged a third of Pakistan's land. It is estimated that over 33 million people were affected overall, or one in seven Pakistanis, and 8 million people were displaced, causing major humanitarian problems.

The United Nations reported on Tuesday that as of March 15, humanitarians had reached more than 7 million flood-affected Pakistanis with food and other essential services. UNICEF and partners have so far provided safe drinking water to nearly 1.2 million children and families, and supported the rehabilitation of water supply facilities benefitting over 450,000 people.

UNICEF has called for additional resources to restore access to safe drinking water and proper toilets in flood-affected areas ahead of Wednesday's World Water Day. Investment is also needed in climate-resilient water supply facilities, such as those powered by solar energy.

There is less than 50 percent funding for UNICEF's 173.5 million dollars appeal for this crisis.