Flash floods triggered by cloudburst and heavy monsoon rains have devastated several parts of Pakistan, from Chitral city in the country’s north to parts of southern Punjab as well as the mountainous areas of Balochistan.
Up to 500,000 individuals have been affected, with three people reported dead so far. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced and there are fears that there could be further flooding due to unstable weather conditions and seasonal monsoon rains.
The northern part of the country has been worst-hit, with the rains washing away a main bridge linking Chitral city to Mastuj sub-division.
Communication infrastructure, rural housing, crops and livelihoods have sustained extensive losses. Access to some of the most affected areas – including in Chitral – is difficult due to the damaged road network. Heavy loss of livestock is anticipated, which in turn could affect livelihoods and food security.
People are being evacuated from damaged areas in operations lead by the local government and Pakistan Army. Around 120 camps have been established in Punjab, however at the moment many of those affected are relying on support from friends or family.
CARE Pakistan has a presence in Punjab, Sindh and Kyber Pakhtunkhwa districts, however do not have an established presence in Chitral. All CARE staff are safe and accounted for.
CARE is monitoring the situation with emergency teams preparing to respond. In times of disaster CARE has a special focus on the needs of women and girls, who are often most affected.
How you can help
CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed.
You can help communities affected by disaster by donating to the Global Emergency Fund to help CARE respond to emergencies.
