Flooding in Pakistan

A country under water

In Pakistan, millions of people are affected by the consequences of these monsoon rains, which are the heaviest in 30 years. According to some estimates, rainfall has been five to seven times heavier than in previous years. Before the monsoon, Pakistan had already suffered a terrible heatwave for several months, which dried out the country and melted the glaciers. The dry soil combined with torrential rains had already caused flooding: this record-breaking monsoon has exacerbated the situation to the point of catastrophe. So far, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives due to the floods, hundreds of thousands have lost all their possessions, and nearly a million buildings have been destroyed. The Pakistani government has declared a state of emergency and requested international aid.

Those affected are in precarious conditions

These floods have had terrible consequences for the Pakistani population. Despite the fact that entire regions are flooded, drinking water is running out. If people drink dirty, polluted water to avoid dying of thirst, there is a high risk of an increase in diseases such as diarrhoea and infections. In addition, there is a shortage of staple foods such as cereals and rice. In addition to the fact that hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed, many livestock have drowned in the floods – and these are the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands, even millions of people. Thus, all these people have lost their homes and livelihoods overnight – and this difficult situation is likely to continue even after the floods.

Our aid

To date, we have been able to support several projects run by our Swiss partner organisations working in the field. For example, projects are funded by the Swiss Red Cross, Helvetas, Save the Children Switzerland, Solidar Suisse, Médecins sans Frontières and the Terre des Hommes Foundation. Our aid includes emergency aid and immediate relief, as well as long-term reconstruction projects, so that the population can return to normal life as quickly as possible.

Emergency aid

• Provision of essential items: food, emergency kits, blankets, kitchen utensils, rehydration solutions, hygiene products, etc.
• Access to healthcare: deployment of mobile medical teams and provision of medical equipment.
• Access to drinking water: distribution of hygiene kits, rehabilitation of wells, water purification devices, washing stations, etc.
• Construction of emergency shelters

Practical and useful assistance

Akber Khan lives with his family in the village of Abakhel. He works as a vendor at the local market, selling fruit and vegetables. In August 2022, rising water levels damaged his home, destroying his seeds and food supplies in the process. The floods were yet another blow for Akber, who had already lost his leg in an accident a few years earlier. Our partner NGO Solidar Suisse came to his aid in November 2022 to restore his furniture and provide him with sufficient food and other goods. Akber Khan is sincerely touched by the project team and also thanks the donors for their commitment and solidarity.

Zarmina Gul, 52, lives on the banks of the Kabul River. She supports her two sisters by selling homemade sweets. The eldest sister has been disabled since birth, while the second suffers from heart problems and is unable to do physical work. The three women were severely affected by the floods in August 2022. Their home and household goods were damaged. They also found themselves alone as the rising waters caused damage throughout the neighbourhood. However, the family was able to count on the help of our partner Solidar Suisse: support that came at the best possible time, according to them.

Long-term assistance

• Protection: psychosocial support for children, parents and teachers to ensure a stable and safe environment for children.
• House reconstruction: provision of local materials, technical assistance and professional support.
• Improvement of sanitary conditions: establishment of a waste management system and sanitary facilities.
• Health: development of health services and establishment of psychosocial support services.
• Economic support project for women, who are subject to greater pressure and violence.
• Installation of solar energy systems to provide schools with a sustainable water treatment system.

"Thanks to the support of the Swiss population, Swiss Solidarity's partner organisations were able to provide rapid emergency aid following last summer's floods. However, around 1.8 million people are still living in partially flooded areas, many of them in temporary shelters without access to drinking water and basic medical care. They therefore still need our help."

Ernst Lüber, Programme Director