Pakistan Floods Worsen, At Least 500 Dead

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is reeling from catastrophic floods, with the village of Besham in Buner district almost completely wiped out by raging waters. The death toll is so high that there are barely enough people left to attend funerals. Rescue teams from across Pakistan are working tirelessly to assist the affected population.

According to a CNN report, at least 500 people have lost their lives in the floods that began in June, with nearly half of the victims being children. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stated that most deaths were caused by collapsing houses. Survivors are now battling severe waterborne diseases.

Pakistan, home to 250 million people, is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, despite contributing only 0.5% to global greenhouse gas emissions. The nation is facing dire consequences from environmental shifts. In just 24 hours last week, heavy rainfall and flooding claimed 180 lives, as reported by the NDMA on Friday. The majority of these deaths occurred in the northeastern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The relentless floods have continued for weeks, driving up the death toll across Pakistan. In mid-July, Punjab, the country’s most populous province, was hit by intense rainfall, submerging villages and flooding fields. In Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, approximately 9 inches of rain turned streets into flowing rivers, submerging homes and businesses and causing prolonged power outages in some areas. Pakistan, a glacier-rich nation, is seeing its ancient ice rivers melt rapidly due to rising temperatures, further exacerbating the risk of flooding. The devastation is not limited to Pakistan. In Indian-administered Kashmir, the Himalayan town of Chashoti has reported at least 46 deaths, with over 200 people missing. Earlier this month, a flash flood in northern India’s Dharali village killed four people and left many others unaccounted for.

In 2022, Pakistan’s monsoon season brought catastrophic floods that killed over 1,700 people, displaced thousands, and caused property damage worth approximately $40 billion.[](https://www.dw.com/en/flooding-kills-over-250-people-in-pakistan-india/a-73656252)