Pakistan: 2022 Monsoon Floods - Situation Report No. 13 (As of 6 January 2023)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Based on the latest analysis of the United Nations satellite imagery (UNOSAT) of flood extent, an estimated 5 million people remain exposed to or living close to flooded areas.

• Due to the damage severity, and propensity for severe cold weather, 35 districts across the country have been identified as most exposed to difficult winter conditions.

• In Sindh Province1, an estimated 89,000 people remain displaced from their homes. More than 116,000 people still registered as displaced in Balochistan Province - Due to floods the 2022/23 rice production estimate is lowered to six million tons, which is the lowest rice crop since 2012/13.

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has prepared the “National Contingency Plan – Winter 2022/23” in collaboration with all stakeholders at federal and provincial levels.

• As of 15 December 2022, 262 million or 32.1 per cent of the US$816 million has been received under revised Floods Response Plan.’

SITUATION OVERVIEW

In some locations of Sindh province and in parts of Balochistan, water has yet to recede and may remain for several months, prolonging the dire humanitarian situation for people in these areas. Flood water remains stagnant in Dadu, Jacobabad, Kambar, Shahdad Kot, Khairpur, Mirpur Khas, Jamshoro, Sanghar, Umer Kot, Badin, Shaheed Benazir Abad and Naushahro Feroze districts in Sindh and Sohbatpur, Jhal Magsi and Jaffarabad districts in Balochistan.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Sindh, over 89,000 people remain displaced in the province as of 2 January 2023, down from 6.5 million in early September. The IDPs living in ten districts including Dadu, ShikarPur, Matiari, Mirpur Khas, Jaccobabad, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Thatta, Khairpur and Karachi with the highest number of IDPs in Dadu (41,742) and the lowest in Karachi (356 IDPs).

Based on damage severity, and propensity for severe cold weather, 35 districts across the country including 14 of Sindh, 10 of Balochistan, 9 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 2 of Punjab have been identified as most exposed to difficult winter conditions. In mountainous terrains and high-altitude areas of Pakistan, many also affected by the floods, have received snowfall and temperatures have fallen below 0 Celcius, particularly in the northern and northwestern parts of Pakistan including Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KP), Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) and northern Balochistan. IDPs who are living in informal camps, self-settlement sites or in transitional shelters are more vulnerable to the cold weather. Returnees and people who remained in flood affected areas and who continue to live in partially damaged houses have bare minimums of basic insulation; their inadequacy to effectively face the cold season is often amplified by damaged - leaking roofs, broken windows, cracked or collapsed perimetral walls. According to Directorate General Health Services Sindh, malaria, acute respiratory illness (ARI), Skin diseases, and dengue fever have decreased significantly in most flood-affected districts. In December 2022 suspected malaria cases have reduced to 5000 cases in camps as compared to 38,000 cases in early October.

As of 30 December 2022, according to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh are the provinces of Pakistan that traditionally a high prevalence of food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty. In total, nearly 6 million people (30% of the population analyzed) experienced high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between July and August 2022, projected to increase to 8.5 million people (43% of the analyzed population) between September and December 2022.