August 27, 2024
Staff Report
LAHORE:
A recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and three humanitarian agencies — Islamic Relief, Concern Worldwide, and Bhittai Social Watch and Advocacy — highlights widespread devastation caused by relentless monsoon floods in Pakistan’s three provinces of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Covering the period from July 1 to August 23, 2024, the report underscores significant losses in lives, infrastructure, and livelihoods.
UN OCHA Report on Pakistan's Floods: Humanitarian situation in Pakistan has deteriorated further over the past two weeks as heavy rains continue to cause flooding, & landslides resulting in displacement & damage across the country.
Here is full report: https://t.co/xaANYEALwj
— Pakistan High Commission London (@PakistaninUK) August 27, 2022
In Sindh’s Khairpur district, over 33,000 people have been displaced, forcing families to live on roadsides or seek shelter with relatives. The floods submerged 25 schools and a local police station, while 80 percent of the district’s crops were destroyed, severely impacting livelihoods.
In Balochistan, nine districts have been declared disaster-hit, with 158 houses completely destroyed and 620 partially damaged. The report also details the collapse of seven bridges and extensive damage to 35 kilometres of roads, further hindering transportation and relief efforts.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced the highest toll in terms of human loss, with 72 deaths reported, 128 injuries, and 874 homes damaged.
The situation may worsen due to the rising threat of glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF) as weather conditions in the region deteriorate. Also, illegal timber smuggling along the Indus River during the monsoon season is further endangering lives and violating flood safety regulations.
Since late June, Pakistan has been grappling with flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports that 232 people have died in rain-related incidents since July 1, with Punjab reporting the highest death toll of 91.
The Met department has forecast further heavy monsoon rains in Punjab and other parts of the country in the coming days.
Torrential rains predicted in southern half from 26th to 29th August 2024. https://t.co/uu3d4f1lfb#monsoon #rainfall #weatherupdate pic.twitter.com/FPwSKa97zi
— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) August 23, 2024
Memories of the 2022 Floods
These floods evoke memories of the catastrophic summer of 2022 when one-third of Pakistan was submerged underwater. At that time, 33 million people were directly affected, and eight million were displaced.
With the situation still evolving, relief efforts are underway, though accessing many flood-hit areas remains a challenge due to damaged infrastructure and ongoing rains. Authorities are urging international support to cope with the ongoing crisis, which continues to take a heavy toll on communities across the country.