Since the beginning of June 2022, the country of Pakistan has suffered severe flooding, leaving more than 1,300 people dead.

According to the United Nations, more than 1,300 people in Pakistan have died, along with another 6,000 who have been injured. On September 11, 2022, the New York Times reported that around 33 million people have been declared missing. Approximately 100,000 square miles of Pakistan have been flooded.

When releasing a message that launched an appeal for international assistance for Pakistan, Secretary-General of the U.N. Antonio Guterres stated, “The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids — the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding.”

While the people of Pakistan are battling these severe floods, the country’s crops and agricultural output have been damaged as well. When discussing the effects of these floods, the New York Times stated that Sindh Province is among the areas that have been hit the hardest by the monsoon rains. According to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, this province produces approximately one third of Pakistan’s food supply, and fifty percent of the province’s crops have been damaged by flooding.

Sanghar, one of the largest cotton producing districts in Sindh, is also feeling the wrath of the floods. Imdad Hingorja, a farmer living in Sanghar, was growing cotton prior to the flooding. When interviewed by the New York Times, he said, “I have lost everything now. There is five to six feet of water in my fields, and I do not know how long it will take the water to dry. I will have not only lost my standing crops but also wasted my entire agricultural year.”

In an article reporting the effects of severe flooding on villages in Pakistan, The Guardian stated residents that live near Lake Manchar, the largest freshwater lake in Pakistan, are stranded after the severe flooding caused the banks of the lake to burst last week. Several surrounding villages have been submerged by water. 

The deputy commissioner of Jamshoro, Fareeduddin Mustafa, said the majority of local residents have evacuated the area and they were being provided with shelter in government buildings. The Guardian reported that authorities are ensuring civilians that the water pressure will be reduced and Lake Manchar will be brought under control.

Pakistani authorities have warned it could take up to six months for the deadly floods to recede in hard-hit areas. Fear in Pakistan is rising over the potential for the spread of waterborne diseases including dengue and cholera.

In an article published on September 13, 2022, CNN reported that the climate minister of Pakistan, Sherry Rehman stated, “Karachi is seeing an outbreak of dengue as hundreds and thousands of patients are reporting daily at government and private hospitals. The dengue cases this year are 50% higher than last year. With 584,246 people in camps throughout the country, the health crisis could wreak havoc if it will go unchecked.”

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah released a statement to CNN that included, “We are expediting our efforts to provide medicines and medics to the 81 calamity-hit flood affected districts of the country. However, these are still very initial estimates as new data is coming up on the ground.”

The Pakistani government blames global climate change for the monsoon rains and harsh weather, and is continuing to find support for their people along with solutions to help the country.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/asia/pakistan-floods-six-months-clear-water-intl-hnk/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/13/pakistan-floods-lake-manchar-environmental-catastrophe