A senior UN humanitarian representative in Pakistan has cautioned that the scale of needs is overwhelming as relentless floods devastate Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan, leaving millions without homes and wiping out crucial crops.
Since late June, when unusually intense monsoon rains began, over six million people have been impacted. Nearly 1,000 lives have been lost, including about 250 children, according to UN figures. The organization has appealed to the international community to support Pakistan’s relief efforts.
An estimated 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes, many of them now staying in government-run shelters or with host families who are struggling themselves.
Floodwaters have submerged vast areas of Punjab – the country’s agricultural hub – where more than 4.7 million people are affected. This flooding intensified after water released from Indian dams caused rivers to overflow. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1.6 million residents are struggling, while glacial lake outburst floods in Gilgit-Baltistan have cut off entire valleys. Authorities in Sindh are also bracing for the possibility of “super floods.”
Carlos Geha, head of the UN and Coordination office (OCHA) in Pakistan acknowledged the government’s swift evacuation of 2.5 million people, noting it as a stronger response than in 2022, when catastrophic floods claimed over 1,700 lives and caused losses worth $40 billion. Still, he stressed, when floodwaters rise to 25 feet, “whole villages vanish, and little can be done to stop it.”
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), more than 8,400 homes, 239 bridges, and nearly 700 kilometers of roads have been damaged. Over 2.2 million hectares of farmland – mostly in Punjab – are underwater, destroying harvests and fueling food inflation. Wheat flour prices alone surged by 25% in early September.
“These farming families feed the nation,” Geha said. “Now their fields are drowned, livestock swept away, and they are left with nothing.”
The UN has so far released $5 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), along with $1.5 million directed to local organizations. Agencies like UNICEF and the World Food Programme are supplying safe water, food, medical care, and temporary schooling facilities. But humanitarian groups admit the response is falling short, with many flood-hit areas only accessible by boat or helicopter.
Outbreaks of waterborne illnesses, including malaria and dengue, are already rising, with fears of cholera spreading in the coming weeks. Immediate priorities include food, medical care, clean water, shelter, and sanitation. But Geha stressed the next stage—rebuilding lives and livelihoods—will be even more challenging.
Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, has faced repeated climate shocks in recent years, from the devastating 2022 floods to recurring heatwaves and droughts. Humanitarian workers warn that every new disaster deepens poverty among already fragile communities.
