KARACHI: At least 87 people have been killed and 149 others injured in rain-related incidents across Pakistan since June 26, according to figures released Thursday by the country’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, reported 29 deaths including 15 children, while the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province recorded 30 deaths, 14 of them children. The southern province of Sindh reported 16 deaths, eight of them children, and the southwestern province of Balochistan saw 11 fatalities, five of them children. One man lost his life in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the NDMA said.
“The total number of 87 deceased include 42 children, 29 men and 16 women,” the NDMA report said, adding that 149 people were injured, 61 children, 52 men and 36 women.
Heavy rains have also damaged at least 242 houses nationwide, including 71 that were completely destroyed and 171 that were partially damaged.
Flood relief operations have been underway since late June, with authorities distributing tents, ration bags, blankets, sandbags, quilts, gas cylinders, mattresses, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, plastic mats, hygiene kits and food packets to affected families.
A total of 24 relief camps have been set up in Punjab and two in Sindh, providing shelter to 176 people. According to the NDMA, around 245 people have been rescued in 21 operations carried out across the country.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the Pakistani government, has finalized its Monsoon Contingency Plan 2025 to ensure a coordinated emergency response and maintain essential health services in high-risk districts.
The plan will be implemented in 10 districts in Punjab and Sindh, nine in Balochistan and four in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“WHO stands with Pakistan and partners to be ready to save lives by supporting rapid response, surveillance and the continuity of essential health services in the event of a natural disaster,” Pakistani state media quoted WHO Representative Dr. Dapeng Luo as saying.
“In a context marked by the impacts of climate change, which are exacerbating risks, it is crucial to be ready to protect the health of all, particularly the most vulnerable,” Luo added.
Pakistan has also rolled out a location-based SMS alert system to warn citizens living in flood-prone areas about imminent weather threats.
