Heavy rainfall-induced devastating floods in northern Pakistan have led to the loss of nearly 400 lives
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has taken swift action in response to the severe monsoon floods affecting several regions in Pakistan, with a particular focus on Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. The organisation's lead disaster agency, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), has mobilised emergency operation centres in Gilgit, Chitral, Karachi, and Islamabad to coordinate relief efforts.
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) have been deployed, successfully evacuating over 3,000 people from vulnerable areas and providing essential supplies like food, tents, and shelter through schools and community buildings. The teams are also working tirelessly to repair water supply lines, roads, and irrigation channels under challenging conditions, and have distributed food and non-food items to approximately 1,000 individuals from around 100 families.
Stockpiles in both Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral have proven crucial for emergency assistance, and Disaster Assessment Response Teams are conducting rapid needs surveys. The AKDN collaborates closely with local authorities, such as the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister, in response to requests for assistance.
In addition to AKDN's efforts, international partnerships, including a Gates Foundation and WHO initiative, are working towards strengthening health services and disease response in multiple flood-affected provinces.
Unfortunately, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported 356 deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since Thursday evening, with dozens more reported in surrounding regions, bringing the total number of casualties to nearly 400. The floods, caused by torrential rains and resulting in flooding and landslides, have submerged one-third of the country, resulting in approximately 1,700 deaths in 2022 alone.
Pakistan is among the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and is increasingly facing extreme weather events. Rescuers, including those from the Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan, are working around the clock to find survivors and bodies in hard-hit areas such as Dalori village. Healthcare workers are on 24-hour duty, and a three-day medical camp treated over 380 patients, with mobile teams visiting homes in vulnerable areas.
The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) is also repairing roads and water infrastructure in Ghizer and Baltistan, demonstrating the organisation's commitment to long-term support for the affected communities. Following an appeal by the GB Chief Minister, AKDN has pledged longer-term support, including rehabilitation of schools and health facilities, solar retrofitting, protection infrastructure, and the distribution of medical equipment and livestock inputs to vulnerable farmers.
As the monsoon season, which typically begins in June and lasts until the end of September, continues, the AKDN remains a central, community-focused actor in relief, recovery, and disaster management in northern Pakistan's mountainous flood zones.
Read also:
- Amidst India's escalating climate crisis, transgender individuals continue to persevere
- Germany's three-month tenure under Merz's administration feels significantly extended
- Governing body allegedly persists in enjoying vacation time amidst Spain's highest danger level due to fires, claims Feijóo
- United Nations Human Rights Evaluation, Session 45: United Kingdom's Statement Regarding Mauritius' Human Rights Record
