Attachments
FAST FACTS
• According to the country’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority, as of August 19, 425 people have been confirmed dead and 267 injured due to flash floods in KP.
• Buner District, in a mountainous area of KP, has accounted for 217 deaths and 120 injuries.
Shangla District has accounted for 36 deaths and 21 injuries. There have been almost 660 rain-related fatalities in Pakistan since June 26.
• Scores of houses and schools have been destroyed or damaged.
Severe monsoon rains between August 15–18 triggered catastrophic flash floods and landslides across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, devastating lives and infrastructure in Bajaur, Battagram, Buner, Mansehra, Shangla, Swat and Torghar districts. The cloudbursts in Bajaur and Buner caused entire villages to be swept away by torrents of water, rocks and mud. Preliminary figures indicate more than 300 fatalities in KP, with more than 200 deaths in Buner alone, and dozens still missing. Thousands of families are displaced, and many remain stranded in remote valleys as roads and bridges have collapsed.
The floods have caused widespread damage to infrastructure, housing, water systems and health facilities, leaving communities without safe water, sanitation, power, shelter or essential services. Immediate needs include restoration of access to roads and power supply, emergency WASH services, shelter and non-food items (NFIs), mobile health teams, psychosocial support, nutrition support and protection services for women and children. Urgent food and cash assistance are also required to meet basic survival needs. With further heavy rainfall forecast, there is a heightened risk of additional flash floods, landslides and outbreaks of disease, underscoring the urgency of a coordinated, multi-sector humanitarian response.
The KP government declared an emergency on August 16, with authorities warning that dozens of victims may still be trapped under debris. Following a directive from the province’s Chief Minister, relief funds have been allocated to districts impacted by flooding. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority is working with district administrations on relief and rescue activities, with disaster management authorities and local volunteers also contributing to the response efforts. Even with these efforts, the extent of the devastation necessitates increased support from both national and international humanitarian partners.
Floodwater has contaminated sources of surface water and destroyed household latrines, leaving entire communities without safe drinking water. Families displaced to schools and mosques lack basic sanitation facilities and hygiene supplies. The health sector is under acute strain. Dozens of injured survivors require trauma care and wound management, while electricity outages in Buner and Shangla districts are preventing health posts from functioning fully. Flooded and cut-off communities face growing risks of acute watery diarrhea, respiratory infections, malaria and dengue due to stagnant water and poor sanitation. Maternal and child health services are disrupted, given limited capacity to reach pregnant women and children under 5. The floods have disrupted the availability of and access to food, with dietary diversity profoundly affected. With croplands destroyed, livestock drowned and families displaced to temporary shelters, the risk of acute malnutrition among children under 5, pregnant women and lactating mothers has sharply increased. In overcrowded shelters, limited access to safe water and proper food handling increases the likelihood of diarrheal diseases, which further aggravate malnutrition. Families have been forced to live in makeshift arrangements without protection from the elements, while overcrowding in communal shelters has increased health and protection risks.