‘The needs are huge’: Pakistan reels from floods as millions left homeless

This article is published in association with United Nations.

A senior UN humanitarian official in Pakistan has warned that “the needs are huge” as massive floods across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan continue to leave millions homeless, destroying vital crops and pushing fragile communities to the brink.

More than six million people have been affected since the unusually heavy monsoon rains began in late June, with nearly 1,000 lives lost – 250 of them children.  

Around 2.5 million people have been displaced, many sheltering in Government-run camps or with host families who are already stretched to their limit.

“From the field, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg,” Carlos Geha, head of the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) in Pakistan told UN News from Islamabad.

He added that many displaced families have yet to return home and may find their houses and livelihoods wiped out when water levels finally recede.

Pakistan’s breadbasket underwater

Exacerbating the monsoon deluge, riverine flooding has inundated large parts of Punjab province – Pakistan’s food basket – where over 4.7 million people have been impacted after India released water from upstream dams, leading to rivers bursting their banks.  

Indian authorities had informed Pakistan ahead of the release, which was triggered by massive rains that caused rivers in northern India to overflow.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1.6 million people have been affected, while flash floods triggered by glacial lake overflows have devastated parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, cutting off entire valleys. Sindh province remains on high alert for potential “super floods.”

“The Government has done a tremendous job evacuating 2.5 million people, something we did not see in 2022,” said Mr. Geha, recalling the devastating floods that killed over 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in economic losses.

“But when water levels reach 25 feet, swallowing whole villages, there is little anyone can do.”

© UNICEF/Fahad Ahmed

Aerial view showing the devastation caused by the floods in Jhang District in Punjab – Pakistan’s most populous province.

Crops gone, infrastructure lost

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports that more than 8,400 houses, 239 bridges and nearly 700 kilometres of roads have been damaged or destroyed.  

Over 2.2 million hectares of cropland – much of it in Punjab – lie under water, wiping out harvests and pushing food prices higher. Wheat flour prices alone rose 25 percent in the first week of September.

“These are farming families who feed the nation,” Mr. Geha said. “Now their land is submerged, their animals are gone, and they are left with nothing.”

Relief efforts under strain

The UN and its partners are struggling to match the scale of the disaster. OCHA has released $5 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), with an additional $1.5 million channeled to local NGOs.  

UNICEF, WFP and other agencies are trucking safe water, providing health and nutrition supplies, and setting up temporary learning centers for children.

Yet aid workers warn that this is far from enough. Many communities remain cut off by collapsed bridges and submerged roads, with food and medicines reaching them only by boat or helicopter.  

Waterborne diseases such as malaria and dengue are already on the rise, with fears of cholera outbreaks in the weeks ahead.

“The immediate needs are food, healthcare, shelter, water and sanitation,” said Mr. Geha. “But the next phase will be even more difficult – helping millions of people stand back on their feet after losing everything.”

© UNICEF/Fahad Ahmed

A UNICEF staff member distributes hygiene kits and water purification tablets to flood affected families in Jhang district, Punjab.

A call for solidarity

Pakistan has endured repeated climate disasters in recent years, from the record-breaking 2022 floods to heatwaves and drought. Humanitarians warn that each shock pushes already vulnerable families further into poverty.

“This is not Pakistan’s fault – it is one of the countries most exposed to climate change,” Mr. Geha emphasised.

“The international community must stand with Pakistan not just in this emergency, but in helping to rebuild resilience and restore livelihoods for the long term.”

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