Pakistan is facing the world’s deadliest floods since the 2017 South Asian floods with more than 1,000 casualties and more than 33 million people affected, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The government of Pakistan declared a state of emergency on the 25th August 2022 with damage from the flash floods being estimated at US$10 billion.
The government has established two funds under the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to raise funds for those impacted by the disaster. Additionally, the government and the UN are seeking US$160 million to accelerate and expand the flood response. The IsDB Group has also expressed its support for the government of Pakistan in its efforts to address the negative impact of the floods.
The magnitude of the flash floods has been attributed to the impact of climate change. “Pakistan’s carbon emission footprint was negligible but it was ranked at the 8th position among the countries exposed to the horrors of climate change. Noting that the climate change has made flooding worse, Prime Minister [Shehbaz] Sharif emphasized rehabilitation and reconstruction of climate-resilient infrastructure in Pakistan,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan read.
The country is experiencing rainfall of up to five times the 30-year average, which has caused significant damage to its infrastructure. More than 3,000 km of roads and 145 bridges have been partially or completely destroyed, adding further hurdles to humanitarian efforts. The agricultural sector has also been hit with more than 700,000 livestock killed and two million acres of crops and orchards destroyed, according to the UN.
As of the 2nd September 2022, over 1.1 million houses have been damaged or destroyed, with the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh seeing the most property damage.
The government of Pakistan established the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund on the 5th August 2022, accepting domestic and international donations and contributions. The fund will provide relief and rehabilitation to those affected by the floods, with Islamic and conventional banks playing intermediary roles in channeling funds to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund Account, 2022 opened by the SBP.
Further, the government of Balochistan, the poorest province of Pakistan, established the Balochistan’s Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Fund on the 25th August 2022 to provide relief to the those affected by the flood within the province. With the rain primarily falling in the province, it is one of the most heavily affected regions in the country.