Monsoon Rain & Flood 2022 Pakistan
Impact Overview
Since 14 June, Pakistan has been experiencing an abnormal monsoon rainfall season,
close to three times more intense than the past 30-year average. The rains have resulted in
uncontrollable urban and flash floods and landslides across the country (IFRC 28/08/2022).
As of 29 August, the floods had killed 1,061 people (including almost 360 children), injured
1,575, and affected more than 33 million (equivalent to nearly 15% of the total population) in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir territories (GOP 28/08/2022; BBC 28/08/2022; ECHO 29/08/2022).
Over 99% of the affected population are in the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh (GOP 28/08/2022). The priority needs of the affected population include emergency shelter, food, shelter construction materials, mosquito nets, safe drinking water, access to WASH services, and healthcare (IFRC 28/08/2022).
The floods have displaced three million people, for whom the authorities have dedicated
around 5,500 schools as temporary shelters. Some displaced people are also sheltering with
relatives, but the majority remains in the open (CNN 26/08/2022; OCHA 26/08/2022; IRP 26/08/2022).
As of 28 August, floods had destroyed more than 300,000 houses and damaged around
692,000, with nearly 85% of the damage located in Sindh. The floods had also damaged nearly 3,500km of roads and 150 bridges in Gilgit-Baltistan and Punjab. Over 727,000 livestock had perished, and around two million acres of crops had been affected (GOP 28/08/2022; OCHA 26/08/2022).
On 25 August, the Pakistani Government announced a state of emergency in response to the
flash floods affecting the country (IFRC 28/08/2022).
On 28 August, Pakistani authorities issued an alert regarding the continued flooding of Tarbela Dam along the Indus River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (GOP 28/08/2022).
ANTICIPATED SCALE AND SCOPE
According to the Pakistani weather forecasting center, rain is forecasted in isolated areas of
Azad Jammu and Kashmir territory, northeast Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan territory between 29 August and 4 September. The weather forecast is warm and dry in Sindh province and Islamabad Capital Territory, offering a temporary relief from the floods in these areas (NWFC 30/08/2022). The risk of further flooding will persist throughout September, which is when the monsoon season ends in Pakistan (Al Jazeera 26/08/2022; IRP 26/08/2022).
As of 26 August, weather conditions continued to inhibit the ability of responders to conduct needs assessments in some of the affected areas, including Quetta and Pishin cities in Balochistan province. The full extent of the impact on the affected population is still unclear (OCHA 26/08/2022).
The humanitarian situation is likely to deteriorate as communities and infrastructure are
increasingly unable to cope with floods. The impact on roads is also expected to worsen, and landslides are likely to happen, constraining the humanitarian response (OCHA 26/08/2022).
HUMANITARIAN CONSTRAINTS
Damage to roads and bridges and the presence of stagnant water restrict land access. The
floods have damaged an estimated 3,000km of roads and 149 bridges, impeding access
across flood-affected areas (IFRC 28/08/2022).
On 25 August, floodwaters isolated Quetta in Balochistan province, restricting access to a main food warehouse in the city. The situation is restricting the delivery of food assistance to the affected population (WFP 29/08/2022); the Pakistani Armed Forces are airlifting it to remote villages (OCHA 26/08/2022), but the delivery of assistance using helicopters increases operation costs.
On 19 August, Pakistan experienced internet outages, particularly in northern and central
Pakistan, as a result of floods affecting the fiber optical network of one of the main service
providers in the country (IRP 29/08/2022; DCD 19/08/2022). Balochistan province experienced power outages and disruptions to mobile and internet services, affecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Power was not restored until 26 August (BS 27/08/2022).
The lack of connectivity affects the ability of humanitarian workers to share information (WFP 29/08/2022).
There is a likelihood of community conflict during the provision of aid, requiring responders to coordinate aid distribution also to prevent duplications (IRP 26/08/2022).
NEEDS
WASH
There is a high need for safe drinking water, toilets, hygiene kits, and menstrual kits for
women and girls (WaterAid 27/08/2022). The floods have damaged sources of clean water, and some people only have access to contaminated water, likely leading to disease outbreaks (IRP 29/08/2022; WaterAid 27/08/2022).
Shelter
As of 28 August, the floods had damaged or destroyed more than 992,000 houses across
the country (GOP 28/08/2022). An estimated 498,400 individuals were living in relief camps (IFRC 28/08/2022). 1,800 shelters had been set up in Sindh, and there were also an unreported number of shelters in Balochistan and Punjab. The Government is requesting the help of the private sector and some universities in setting up camps for the displaced and collecting donations (TWP 29/08/2022; The Express Tribune 28/08/2022; Ary News 27/08/2022).
Health
The floods have totally or partially damaged more than 1,000 health facilities in Sindh and
nearly 200 in Balochistan, reducing the affected population’s access to health services. The
floods have also displaced many health professionals, further reducing healthcare capacities
(UNFPA 30/08/2022; UNICEF 30/08/2022; FloodList 20/08/2022). Pregnant and lactating women, people with disabilities, and those with chronic illnesses are more vulnerable to the lack of access to healthcare and need specialized health assistance (IRC 26/08/2022).
Local health authorities in Sindh province confirmed that waterborne diseases have afflicted
around 170,000 people, of whom 52,000 are suffering from diarrhea (AA 28/08/2022).
Displaced people living in the open air are particularly exposed to the risk of waterborne
diseases, including malaria, diarrhea, and dengue. Stagnant water from floods acts as
a breeding environment for mosquitoes. The affected population is in need of mosquito nets
and repellents to prevent further infections (IRP 26/08/2022).
Food security
The floods have severely affected agriculture and cattle; more than 727,900 livestock have
perished (GOP 28/08/2022). Livestock is an important source of subsistence livelihood for many families. The floods also affected around two million acres of crops and orchards, mostly in Sindh (1.54 million acres) (OCHA 26/08/2022). An estimated 5.9 million people in some of the most flood-affected provinces (Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh) are projected to face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) food security conditions between July–November 2022 (WFP 26/07/2022). Flood damage to crops is contributing to increased food prices and food insecurity (AA 12/08/2022; IRC 29/08/2022).
The number of food-insecure people is expected to increase to 7.2 million between December 2022 and March 2023, partially because of higher food prices (WFP 26/07/2022). The price of staple foods, including wheat and rice, is increasing because of floods affecting large farmlands (AA 29/08/2022, India Narrative 29/08/2022; France 24 30/08/2022; WFP 29/08/2022).
AGGRAVATING FACTORS
Inflation:
headline inflation based on the Consumer Price Index increased by 4.35% in July
2022 compared to June 2022 and by 24.93% compared to July 2021 – the highest increase
since October 2008. Food inflation in July 2022 also increased by 28.77% compared to the
same period in 2021 (WFP 29/08/2022). Increasing inflation and currency depreciation have
been reducing the purchasing power of Pakistanis since 2021 (DW 15/11/2021).
Poverty:
Poverty is prevalent in the most flood-affected provinces, with 41% of the total population in Balochistan, 25% in Sindh, 27% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 16% in Punjab living in poverty (the national level is 21.5%) (PIDE 2021). Rural areas in Pakistan typically have higher poverty rates and are the most affected by floods. Currently, the Government is in long-running negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout deal to stave off a default on foreign debt (DW 14/08/2022; Bloomberg 24/06/2022). Natural hazards, inflation, and foreign debt affect not only people’s livelihoods but also the fiscal revenue of the country. The Government estimates that the floods have caused over USD 4 billion in losses to the country’s already weak economy (AA 29/08/2022; The Economic Times 27/08/2022).
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| Monsoon Rain Map 2022 Pakistan |
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Disaster