Attachments
Description of the crisis
The 2022 monsoon season in Pakistan triggered one of the most devastating natural disasters in the country’s history, with catastrophic floods and landslides affecting over 33 million people across 90 districts, including Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. The floods submerged one-third of Pakistan’s territory, displacing approximately 8 million people and destroying or damaging more than 2 million homes. Around 600,000 individuals were forced into relief camps, while others sought refuge in makeshift shelters with limited access to necessities. The disaster caused widespread destruction of crops, livestock, and agricultural land, severely impacting rural communities reliant on farming. This loss exacerbated poverty and triggered acute food shortages, with an estimated 8.6 million people in Sindh and Balochistan who were facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+). According to the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the floods resulted in over 1,700 deaths and 12,800 injuries as of November 2022.
The disaster also triggered a severe public health crisis. Stagnant floodwaters, damaged water infrastructure, and inadequate sanitation systems led to outbreaks of water- and vector-borne diseases, including cholera, typhoid, diarrhea, malaria, and dengue. The destruction of over 1,400 health facilities, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan, further limited access to healthcare services, leaving vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly at heightened risk. Poor living conditions in temporary shelters and the lack of protection systems also exposed women and children to increased risks of exploitation, abuse, and child marriages. The impact of the disaster was worsened by floodwaters that took up to six months to recede in some areas, particularly in Sindh and urban parts of KP, delaying recovery efforts and prolonging the suffering of affected communities. Roads and bridges were severely damaged, isolating many villages and hindering the delivery of aid. The destruction of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure left millions without access to safe drinking water and sanitation, while the loss of livelihoods deepened economic vulnerabilities.
In the aftermath of the disaster, significant developments further shaped the humanitarian situation. According to UNICEF2, approximately 1.8 million individuals continued to reside near stagnant and polluted floodwaters 16 months after the government declared a National Emergency, posing severe health hazards. The primary concerns remained shelter, food security, water, sanitation, and public health, with many survivors still living in temporary shelters and lacking access to essential necessities. Data from UNOSAT3 indicated that while the number of people in areas with stagnant floodwater had decreased, the issue persisted as a significant challenge, hindering residents from returning to their damaged or destroyed homes, particularly those reliant on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods. The NDMA reported4 that the floods damaged or destroyed more than 2.3 million homes and wiped out over 1.7 million hectares of crops, while over 800,000 livestock perished, pushing more than 8 million people into poverty. Food prices in rural areas surged by 45%, leaving over 1 million people dependent on humanitarian aid.
Government of Pakistan, Finance division’s damage assessment report estimated the damage and loss due to floods 2022 as, at US$14.9 billion, the loss to the GDP at US$15.2 billion, and the total needs of rehabilitation at US$16.3 billion. The sectors that suffered the most damage is housing at US$5.6 billion; agriculture, food, livestock, and fisheries at US$3.7 billion; and transport and communications at US$3.3 billion.
As of November 2023, over 540,000 malaria cases were reported, with stagnant water sources and limited access to clean water increasing the risk of waterborne illnesses.6 Extensive damage to roads, bridges, health facilities, and schools7 further compounded the challenges, particularly in Sindh province, where immediate assistance remained crucial due to ongoing winter conditions and the intensifying need for shelter, food, and household items.