Massive Floods Force Millions to Evacuate in Pakistan

More than 2 million people have been evacuated in Punjab province as severe floods hit eastern Pakistan, officials said. In Sindh province, another 150,000 people have been moved to safer areas, with authorities warning that the number may rise in the coming days.

Since late June, over 900 people have died nationwide due to monsoon rains, according to the International Medical Corps. Climate change is making floods worse, with heavy rains causing rivers to overflow. Critics also blame insufficient government investment in flood prevention, such as early warning systems and stronger infrastructure.

The floods have destroyed large areas of farmland and homes, hitting communities hard, especially in a country where 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. Many families stayed behind to protect their property, forcing rescuers to conduct door-to-door evacuations using boats. These operations have been dangerous, nine people died on Tuesday when a rescue boat capsized on the Indus River, and five others died in a similar incident earlier near Jalalpur Pirwala city, BBC reported.

The disaster has also affected neighbouring India, where at least 30 people have died and over 354,000 have been affected.

Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority has delivered blankets, tents, and water filtration devices to flood-hit areas. Officials say it will take weeks for the water to recede, delaying rehabilitation work on thousands of villages and fields, BBC reported.

International aid is arriving: the UN allocated $5 million for flood relief, and the US State Department has deployed disaster response personnel to assist.

Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to climate change, facing extreme heat, heavy rain, and melting glaciers that create new flood risks. After the recent floods, authorities declared a climate emergency, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a 300-day plan to tackle climate-related challenges.