The Floods of Pakistan

“I have seen many humanitarian disasters in the world, but I have never seen climate carnage on this scale.” - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while visiting the flood affected areas.

What happened?

The monsoon season began in mid-June in Pakistan, and since then, the country has seen historic levels of flooding due to poor urban planning, torrential monsoon rains and climate change. Here are the facts:

  • Over 1,700 people have died;

  • Nearly 13,000 people have been injured;

  • More than 1.2 million livestock have been killed;

  • Almost 1.5 million houses have been damaged in Pakistan;

  • Nearly 10 million children are in dire need of immediate, life saving support and are at an increased risk for different waterborne diseases, infections, and malnutrition; and

  • 33 million people have been affected by the floods.

Because of the floods, large parts of Pakistan are now submerged in dirty water putting the 33 million individuals displaced at risk to water borne diseases that have already affected thousands of adults and children. In total, about one-third of Pakistan has been underwater.

The flooding has destroyed much of Pakistan’s infrastructure including roads, bridges, and telecommunications across the country. Even more devastating, entire villages have also been swept away and the railways have experienced unprecedented damage. 

Officials say it will take up to six months for the flood waters to recede in the areas that were hit the hardest. In total, the floods have caused over $15 billion in damages and over $15 billion in economic losses. In order for the country to recover, they will need at least $15 billion. 

Alongside the flooding, security forces are also struggling with militant attacks. 

Why is this happening? 
Climate change is likely the greatest cause of historic flooding in Pakistan but is not the only reason–though it’s important to note that Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global carbon emissions (for comparison, the US contributes 25% of carbon emissions and the UK contributes 5%). Other factors that have contributed to the large-scale damage include socioeconomic conditions of individuals affected by the floods, steep slopes in some regions, and unexpected failing of embankments. Even more, before the floods, Pakistan was already facing a major debt crisis, further complicating relief efforts for the region.

Read more about the floods here:

What are five ways to help? 

1. Donate and Support Edhi Foundation

Edhi Foundation is run entirely with the help of volunteers. Voluntary donations from individuals support the foundations activities, the emphasis is on individual social masses contributions are also made in form of food, clothing, medicines and animal hides.

2. You can write to your local MP or local Representative

Although governments are pledging support, when broken down, the UK government support pledges equates to just 5p per person affected. By writing to your MP you can express your need for the Government to deliver full support for the international community. 

3. Share information 

While it is touching to see how ordinary people from far away countries have shown solidarity with Pakistan, donating what they can to flood relief efforts, the silence from major international news figures has been upsetting. The week the floods hit, there were more newspaper column inches devoted to the Finnish prime minister who likes to party than to the fact that a third of Pakistan was submerged under dirty water. Due to this, it is down to regular people to highlight what is happening in parts of the world.  There are many accounts which advocate supporting the people of Pakistan and educating us about what is happening, accounts include: Riz Ahmed, Malala, and People For Humanity. 

4. Read more about the history of Pakistan 

To learn more about the history we recommend the following books: 

5. Keep your voice heard

After reading this you may now have a deeper understanding of climate change, the devastation happening in parts of the world and the lack of mainstream media coverage in the West. If we stand together, we can create the change necessary to prevent more tragedies from occurring. Our planet is in crisis and we must work together to greatly curb and reduce greenhouse emissions that are destroying the environment and contributing to unprecedented changes to our climate. It’s urgent and critical because the world’s most vulnerable are paying the price. 

Thank you for reading today! If you wish to support the families of Pakistan, please donate to grassroots organizations like Edhi or reach out to the voice@gumgum.com for more info. 

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