Heavy rainfall in eastern Pakistan has caused devastating floods, displacing nearly half a million people. Rescue efforts are underway to assist those impacted by the widespread destruction, with officials reporting massive damage across multiple provinces.
As of Saturday, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that 835 people have died in the floods since June 26, with 195 deaths in Punjab alone. Three major rivers — the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej — have risen to dangerous levels, submerging more than 2,300 villages in Punjab, a region bordering India.
In response to the rising waters, the Punjab government has initiated controlled breaches in flood barriers to redirect the overflow. This marks the first time in the nation’s history that all three major rivers have flooded simultaneously.
Nabeel Javed, head of the province’s relief services, confirmed on Saturday that 481,000 people and 405,000 livestock have been evacuated from flood-stricken areas, with the total number of affected individuals reaching over 1.5 million.
“This is the largest rescue operation in Punjab’s history,” said Irfan Ali Khan, the head of the provincial disaster management agency. More than 800 boats and 1,300 rescue workers are involved in evacuating families, mostly from rural areas near the rivers.
The latest wave of floods since the beginning of the week has claimed 30 more lives, with hundreds of others dying throughout the unusually harsh monsoon season that began in June. Khan assured the public that no one’s life was being ignored, as relief efforts continue.
In response to the crisis, over 500 relief camps have been established to offer shelter to displaced families and their animals.
In the city of Kasur, farmer Safdar Munir shared his hardship: “The floods have taken my crops and all my possessions. We’re now trying to save our livestock, but there is no feed for them, and the government has not offered any help.” Another farmer, Abid, expressed similar grief: “The floodwaters destroyed everything. I barely managed to save my animals. My crops and farm are submerged.”
In Shahdara, a town on the outskirts of Lahore, families have sought refuge in schools as floodwaters continue to rise. The city of Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest, also faces significant damage, with entire neighborhoods submerged.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of more heavy rains, wind, and thunderstorms across various regions in the coming days.
In mid-August, torrential rainfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near Afghanistan, led to landslides that claimed the lives of over 400 people. This region, controlled by the opposition party, has been struggling with the devastation caused by the monsoon.
The catastrophic floods of 2022, which submerged a third of the country, particularly affected the southern province of Sindh, and experts warn that this year’s season may surpass last year’s devastation.
