Pakistan Metrological Department (MET) has warned about more rainfall from August 23 to 26, 2022, in Sindh, south Punjab, south and northeastern Balochistan. Rain-wind or thundershowers with isolated heavy falls are expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Which means that more damages are expected in these days in the already affected areas.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 34 deaths and 50 injuries have been reported across Pakistan due to heavy monsoon rainfall. To date, 937 deaths have been reported with highest number in Sindh (306), followed by Balochistan (234), KP (185), Punjab (165), AJK (37) and GB (9).
Reportedly, more than 1,300 people have sustained injuries in the flood-affected areas. As per estimates, more than three million people have been affected due to monsoon rains, of which 215,997 have been displaced to relief camps across Pakistan.
Floods have also damaged houses, bridges, roads, and livestock. To date, 3082.5 kilometres of roads has been damaged, and a total of 145 bridges collapsed with highest number in Sindh (60), followed by GB (52) and Balochistan (18). People living in these provinces are mostly dependent on crops, livestock, and small shops. The total livestock lost during this monsoon is 793,995 and 670,328 houses are either partially or completely destroyed.
Pakistan’s 116 districts are hard hit by monsoon rainfall this year. Unprecedented rainfall, glacial lake outbursts floods (GLOFs), flash floods, torrential rains and land sliding has forced millions of people to spend nights under the sky. Performing the burial rites has become difficult in the absence of dry land.
This disaster is not the first of its kind. The 2010 flood devastated Pakistan. According to the Global Climate Risk Index annual report for 2020, Pakistan lost 0.53 percent per unit of GDP, suffered economic losses worth US$3792.52 million and witnessed 152 extreme weather events between 1999 and 2018. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) analysis shows that the socioeconomic costs of environmental degradation are considerable with climate adaptation needs ranging between US$7 billion and US$14 billion per year.
Due to changing climate, frequency and magnitude of floods, droughts and GLOFs are now a regular phenomenon. But institutions entrusted with managing disasters lack capacity, human resource, and financial resources. Institutions like the NDMA and MET are vigilant in issuing warnings to all relevant institutions on their social media pages and on their website as well as through writing letters. Whether the warnings reach masses on time is a big question. Apparently, despite timely warnings, the provincial institutions and governments were not vigilant enough to rescue people.
The role of media during these times is even worse. All channels are going after ratings and ignoring the ground realities and plight of flood victims. They are more interested in politics.
On the other hand, instead of standing united and help the flood affectees, the political parties are busy in mudslinging. There is no central mechanism which can address issues related to flood and fundraising. There is a call for donations from different political party members on individual not collective basis. Also, there is trust deficit to send donations to political party members due to corruption and poor governance. People are trying to help and send donations to different individuals, thanks to twitter hashtag #FloodsInPakistan, where some of the information can be found.
There is immediate need for camps, food and special needs for women and girls. Also, there is need for medical camps for not only basic medicines and for pregnant women. A disturbing video of a newborn baby is circulating on the internet, whose mother can’t be found anywhere.
Moving forward, there is need to establish a central funding mechanism where people can send donations. Donations received from international organisations should be utilised immediately for rescue purposes. Also, provincial governments should be investing in climate resilient infrastructure. The damaged houses were mostly made of mud.
There is also a need to invest in emotional rehabilitation of flood victims. People go through trauma when they lose their dear ones, livestock, personal belongings, and home. Staying in camps or under the open sky is a painful process. There is an urgent need to invest in their counseling and mental health.
Political parties, media, and civil society organisations should unite in these testing times and help people. In the next general elections, people should vote for those who invest in providing them timely relief and rehabilitation.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 34 deaths and 50 injuries have been reported across Pakistan due to heavy monsoon rainfall. To date, 937 deaths have been reported with highest number in Sindh (306), followed by Balochistan (234), KP (185), Punjab (165), AJK (37) and GB (9).
Reportedly, more than 1,300 people have sustained injuries in the flood-affected areas. As per estimates, more than three million people have been affected due to monsoon rains, of which 215,997 have been displaced to relief camps across Pakistan.
Floods have also damaged houses, bridges, roads, and livestock. To date, 3082.5 kilometres of roads has been damaged, and a total of 145 bridges collapsed with highest number in Sindh (60), followed by GB (52) and Balochistan (18). People living in these provinces are mostly dependent on crops, livestock, and small shops. The total livestock lost during this monsoon is 793,995 and 670,328 houses are either partially or completely destroyed.
Institutions like the NDMA and MET are vigilant in issuing warnings to all relevant institutions on their social media pages and on their website as well as through writing letters. Whether the warnings reach masses on time is a big question.
Pakistan’s 116 districts are hard hit by monsoon rainfall this year. Unprecedented rainfall, glacial lake outbursts floods (GLOFs), flash floods, torrential rains and land sliding has forced millions of people to spend nights under the sky. Performing the burial rites has become difficult in the absence of dry land.
This disaster is not the first of its kind. The 2010 flood devastated Pakistan. According to the Global Climate Risk Index annual report for 2020, Pakistan lost 0.53 percent per unit of GDP, suffered economic losses worth US$3792.52 million and witnessed 152 extreme weather events between 1999 and 2018. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) analysis shows that the socioeconomic costs of environmental degradation are considerable with climate adaptation needs ranging between US$7 billion and US$14 billion per year.
Due to changing climate, frequency and magnitude of floods, droughts and GLOFs are now a regular phenomenon. But institutions entrusted with managing disasters lack capacity, human resource, and financial resources. Institutions like the NDMA and MET are vigilant in issuing warnings to all relevant institutions on their social media pages and on their website as well as through writing letters. Whether the warnings reach masses on time is a big question. Apparently, despite timely warnings, the provincial institutions and governments were not vigilant enough to rescue people.
The role of media during these times is even worse. All channels are going after ratings and ignoring the ground realities and plight of flood victims. They are more interested in politics.
On the other hand, instead of standing united and help the flood affectees, the political parties are busy in mudslinging. There is no central mechanism which can address issues related to flood and fundraising. There is a call for donations from different political party members on individual not collective basis. Also, there is trust deficit to send donations to political party members due to corruption and poor governance. People are trying to help and send donations to different individuals, thanks to twitter hashtag #FloodsInPakistan, where some of the information can be found.
There is immediate need for camps, food and special needs for women and girls. Also, there is need for medical camps for not only basic medicines and for pregnant women. A disturbing video of a newborn baby is circulating on the internet, whose mother can’t be found anywhere.
There is immediate need for camps, food and special needs for women and girls. Also, there is need for medical camps for not only basic medicines and for pregnant women. A disturbing video of a newborn baby is circulating on the internet, whose mother can’t be found anywhere.
Moving forward, there is need to establish a central funding mechanism where people can send donations. Donations received from international organisations should be utilised immediately for rescue purposes. Also, provincial governments should be investing in climate resilient infrastructure. The damaged houses were mostly made of mud.
There is also a need to invest in emotional rehabilitation of flood victims. People go through trauma when they lose their dear ones, livestock, personal belongings, and home. Staying in camps or under the open sky is a painful process. There is an urgent need to invest in their counseling and mental health.
Political parties, media, and civil society organisations should unite in these testing times and help people. In the next general elections, people should vote for those who invest in providing them timely relief and rehabilitation.