A Year After Pakistan’s Worst Floods, Recovery Still Lags Behind
June 14 marks the first anniversary of the catastrophic floods that ravaged Pakistan, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, billions of dollars in damages, and ongoing economic setbacks
[Islamabad] A year ago, a flood submerged approximately one-third of Pakistan, killing 1,700 people and affecting about 33 million others, damaging or destroying around 2 million homes as well as thousands of schools and hospitals.
This flood, which was aggravated by climate change, washed away crops and destroyed infrastructure and thousands of miles of roads, railway tracks, and bridges. It is regarded as the biggest disaster in the country’s history, with a $16 billion recovery budget.
According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, starting in mid-June 2022, heavy monsoon rains led to the most severe flooding in Pakistan in the last 10 years, affecting over 33 million people and resulting in destruction or damage to more than a million homes.
A United Nations report stated that at least 8 million people were displaced by the disaster. According to official figures, some 1,700 people—including 552 children—lost their lives.
The country’s worst flooding occurred along the Indus River in the provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh. The provinces of Balochistan and Sindh were the worst affected by the floods, receiving five to six times their 30-year average rainfall.
The estimated cost of damages exceeded $15 billion, with over one million homes destroyed, 2 million acres of crops flooded, and 500,000 kilometers of roads damaged
According to the World Health Organization, “The estimated cost of damages exceeded $15 billion, with over one million homes destroyed, 2 million acres of crops flooded, and 500,000 kilometers of roads damaged.”
The government of Pakistan declared a national emergency on August 26, 2022, and appealed for worldwide aid. After UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Pakistan in September 2022, he called for “massive and urgent financial support” for the stricken nation.
In January 2023, Pakistan in collaboration with the UN, organized a high-level donor’s conference in Geneva. Pakistan secured international commitments of $10.57 billion for reconstruction in areas of the country devastated by massive floods.
Despite billions of dollars in foreign aid, many flood victims are still suffering, due to the incompetence of government institutions, alleged corruption, lax policies, or political instability,
A year after the fact, many flood victims continue to live in tents and makeshift shelters in several flood-hit areas, and several districts of Sindh province are still submerged in floodwater.
A March 2023 UNICEF report reveals that the devastating floods left over 10 million people, including children, without access to safe drinking water. As a result, these families had no choice but to consume potentially contaminated water.
The UNICEF report further stated that “the prolonged lack of safe drinking water and toilets, along with the continued proximity of vulnerable families to bodies of stagnant water are contributing to the widespread outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dengue, and malaria.”
“In flood-affected areas, more than 1.5 million boys and girls are already severely malnourished, and the numbers will only rise in the absence of safe water and proper sanitation,” the report continued.
Immediately following the floods, UNICEF installed numerous hand pumps and water storage facilities. UNICEF and its partners have provided safe drinking water to nearly 1.2 million children and families and distributed hygiene kits to more than 1.3 million people.
UNICEF also supported the rehabilitation or rebuilding of water supply facilities benefiting over 450,000 people.
Dr. Azra Pechuho, Sindh provincial minister for health and population welfare, told The Media Line that “to provide doorstep immediate medical relief to the victims of waterborne diseases, the provincial government had set up more than 4,000 medical camps.”
“Despite the challenges, signs of progress are visible,” she said. “Schools and healthcare facilities have been reconstructed, allowing children to resume their education and communities to access essential services.”
However, Pechuhu emphasized that there is still much to be done.
“The long-term impact of the floods on mental health and well-being cannot be overlooked,” she said. “Psychosocial support programs have been initiated to address the trauma experienced by individuals and communities affected by the disaster.”
Pakistan is currently engulfed in twin political and economic crises, due to which all public welfare initiatives have come to a standstill. Decades of corruption and mismanagement are also responsible for the situation.
Saddam Hussein, assistant policy chief at the Pakistan Institute of Developing Economics PIDE Islamabad, told The Media Line that the flood uncovered deeper structural issues in Pakistani society.
“In the aftermath of 2022, shockingly, over one-fifth of the health facilities were badly damaged,” he said. “While superficial improvements are visible, delving deeper reveals underlying consequences that demand attention and time for resolution.”
“Rehabilitation regarding housing and health has largely returned to normal. [However,] hidden and spillover costs would take time to return to normal,” Hussein added.
Hussein said there is an ongoing need for long-term planning when it comes to climate change-related disasters.
“What is largely missing is a concrete plan to mitigate further damages in expected floods often in the future due to climatic changes,” he said. “This is not what a country like Pakistan can manage every year. It has to be prevented to the extent possible and mitigated at the earliest each time to minimize the damages to the economy.”
Usman Sagheer, a Karachi-based hydro-geological engineer currently working as a consultant with a private drilling company, explained why some of the country is still underwater.
The main reason, he told The Media Line, was that the land was now saturated. In addition, these regions lack proper drainage, causing the water to stagnate.
Unfortunately, as a nation, we have no concept of climate change and its consequences. Institutions have been established to throw dust in the eyes of the world, and donations of millions of dollars are being taken but practically they do not appear to have any function.
Sagheer, like Hussein, pointed to climate change as the root cause behind the disaster and lamented Pakistan’s inaction.
“Unfortunately, as a nation, we have no concept of climate change and its consequences,” he said. “Institutions have been established to throw dust in the eyes of the world, and donations of millions of dollars are being taken but practically they do not appear to have any function.”
“Premature rains, melting of glaciers, and occurrence of other natural disasters, including floods in Pakistan are all the result of climate change,” he emphasized.
The Dadu district of Sindh is one of the areas severely affected by floods, but no recovery can be seen there. The infrastructure of public facilities is still dilapidated, and the reconstruction of houses is left to local people or private nongovernmental organizations.
“The federal government’s $16.3 billion ‘resilient rehabilitation and reconstruction framework’ for the recovery work, unfortunately, remains limited to papers,” Shahid Mahar, a Dadu-based former city official, told The Media Line.
“Rehabilitation work has not yet begun in numerous isolated villages of Dadu, and the pre-monsoon season has already begun,” he said. “In the event of a flood this year, the death toll will be higher than last year, and the government appears to be taking the situation lightly.”
Mahar explained that wealthier people have moved into urban areas, “but the poor families are forced to live under the open sky in a state of helplessness.”
“NGOs are doing good work, but their resources are inadequate. Meanwhile, government claims are limited to rhetoric,” he said.
Alkhidmat, a Lahore-based NGO, has emerged as Pakistan’s largest charity organization, earning widespread recognition for its remarkable humanitarian efforts during the 2022 flood relief operations. With a strong presence across the country, Alkhidmat has consistently demonstrated its commitment to serving underprivileged and marginalized communities regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.
During the flood relief operations in 2022, Alkhidmat saw the participation of at least 63,000 volunteers in rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts, who saved the lives of 70,000 people who were trapped by the floods, recounted Shoaib Hashmi, Alkhidmat’s senior manager of media relations.
Hashmi told The Media Line that doctors, paramedics, and volunteers began delivering medical services in remote affected areas immediately after the flood via ambulance, boat, and car. They also took into account the local cultural traditions, creating separate medical camps for women and men.
The organization is “continuing the rehabilitation work in the flood-affected areas. A rehabilitation program worth 5 billion rupees [about $17 million] has been started in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and South Punjab,” Hashmi said.
“Since the beginning of the monsoon season, Alkhidmat has warned the [organization’s] Disaster Management Cells in all districts of potential emergency circumstances so that rescue efforts and better services can be offered in the aftermath of any emergency,” he said.
