Nearly 300,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the past 48 hours in Pakistan’s Punjab province after fresh flood alerts were issued by India, bringing the total number of displaced people since last month to 1.3 million.
The floodwaters have swallowed dozens of villages in Muzaffargarh, Narowal, and Sialkot, with rescue teams struggling to divert overflowing rivers onto farmlands to shield major cities. According to Arfan Ali Kathia, Director-General of Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), this is one of the largest rescue and relief operations in Punjab’s history.
Thousands of rescuers, supported by the army, are using boats and drones to evacuate families and livestock stranded on rooftops and in submerged areas. So far, 3.3 million people across 33,000 villages have been affected, with many losing homes and crops. The government has promised compensation, though survivors complain of poor facilities at relief camps.
Tent villages have been set up for around 40,000 people, but many families prefer staying close to their homes. “The camps have no proper food supply, clean water, or toilets. We’re treated like beggars,” said Malik Ramzan, a displaced villager. Aid workers warn of heat, dehydration, and disease outbreaks due to poor sanitation and frequent power cuts.
Meanwhile, India’s Punjab state has also been hit, with 30 deaths and nearly 20,000 evacuations since August 1 due to landslides and floods.
The current disaster is being described as the worst flooding since 2022, when unprecedented rains and glacial melt killed nearly 1,700 people across Pakistan.
FAQs
Q1: How many people have been displaced in Pakistan’s Punjab due to the floods?
Over 1.3 million people have been displaced since last month, with 300,000 evacuated in just the past 48 hours.
Q2: Which areas of Punjab are most affected by the floods?
Flooding has severely hit Muzaffargarh, Narowal, Sialkot, Kasur, and Bahawalpur districts.
Q3: What role is the government playing in relief operations?
The Punjab government, along with the military and rescuers, is carrying out mass evacuations, setting up tent villages, and promising compensation for those who lost homes and crops.
Q4: What challenges are people facing in the relief camps?
Survivors complain about lack of clean drinking water, poor sanitation, late food supplies, frequent power cuts, and unbearable heat, which raise health risks.
Q5: How does this year’s flooding compare with past disasters?
This is considered the worst flooding since 2022, when climate-induced floods killed nearly 1,700 people in Pakistan.
