What is happening in Pakistan?
Rare cloudbursts have triggered flash floods in the northwest of Pakistan. Water is sweeping through mountain villages and causing widespread destruction. Cloudbursts are sudden downpours, dumping over 4 inches of rain in just one hour, causing huge floods.
Pakistan’s monsoon season always brings heavy rain, but this year’s storms have been unusually intense. Although local communities are used to monsoon rains, the intensity and speed of these cloudbursts caught people off guard. Homes have been crushed by floodwater and landslides, sweeping away entire villages. People have described watching everything they own being washed away or buried.
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Donate nowWhat is ShelterBox doing?
ShelterBox and Islamic Relief Pakistan are supporting people hit hard by severe flooding across Pakistan, which is affecting more than a million people.
First, monsoon rains tore through the north of the country, destroying homes and sweeping away entire villages. Now, weeks later, eastern regions are facing significant flooding. Rivers in Punjab overflowed after water was released upstream, forcing mass evacuations. And the danger isn’t over. Those floodwaters are now moving south – into Sindh province – threatening even more communities.
We’re working closely with Islamic Relief Pakistan to reach the hardest-hit areas, while also looking at how best to support people in the east of the country. Communities that are only just recovering from the devastating floods of 2022. It’s peak monsoon season, and more heavy rain is on the way.
Each region needs different support. Vast low-lying areas can remain submerged for weeks or months as stagnant flood water has nowhere to go. It makes it hard for people to return home. People need emergency shelters that they can move to as the waters recede.
But with more heavy rain and flooding expected, the situation is changing all the time. We’re remaining flexible and listening to communities as we finalise what our aid package will be.
Some of the worst-affected areas face harsh winters. Temperatures drop below freezing, so getting the right support to the right people is our priority.
Northern Pakistan
Families displaced by floods and landslides urgently need temporary shelter near their damaged homes while they wait for repairs. We’ll support people with tents, tarpaulins, and blankets.
Flooding brings health risks, too. With dengue and malaria season running from August to November, we’ll also distribute mosquito nets so people can protect themselves from the increased risk of disease.
These supplies are already stored in the country, so we’re ready to go to support communities in urgent need of shelter. Islamic Relief Pakistan will procure solar lights, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, and mattresses for the project. In each village we support, members of the community will be able to apply for paid work supporting people to clear debris and erect tents.
We partnered with Islamic Relief Pakistan during our 2022 – 2024 response to severe monsoon flooding. We also responded to flooding in 2012 and an earthquake in 2013.
Donate nowWhat we know about the monsoon floods
Since late June, Pakistan has been battered by unusually heavy monsoon rains. This has triggered deadly landslides and flash floods across the country. While monsoon season typically runs from July to September, with peak rainfall in August, this year’s storms have arrived earlier and with devastating force. Eastern Pakistan is facing its worst monsoon flooding in forty years.
Hundreds of people have already lost their lives due to sudden floods and collapsing homes — and the death toll is expected to rise. Thousands more have seen their homes destroyed, their livestock swept away, and their crops ruined. Rural communities have been hit hardest. Buner district in the northwest is suffering catastrophic damage. Entire villages were wiped out in moments, as floods and massive rocks surged down from the hills.
Despite early warning systems, the speed and intensity of these floods left little time to react. Search and rescue is now the top priority. Yet because of the scale of disaster, the government’s resources are thin. They have called for national and international assistance.
Ongoing heavy rains continue to hamper relief efforts. Many villages in Pakistan are built on steep slopes and riverbanks. This makes it especially vulnerable to landslides and flash floods. Deforestation and unstable terrains also increase the risk.
This crisis is a stark reminder of Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change. Though Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global carbon emissions, it faces increasingly frequent and intense weather events that threaten lives, homes, and livelihoods.
“We’re speaking with our partners in the affected areas all the time about just how severe the situation is. Although a million people have been evacuated, not everyone is staying in community shelters or with host families.
“Thousands of families are choosing to stay out in the open on their rooftops to protect their livestock and belongings, but this is incredibly risky.
“It leaves people isolated, exposed to torrential rain, and the pressure from floodwater is threatening the very foundations of their homes.”
Channa Van Leijsen, Programme Manager at ShelterBox
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Donate today – you can help us bring hope and relief to those who need it most. Every donation counts. Giving helps restore dignity, safety, and hope to those who have lost everything.
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