ISLAMABAD: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed sorrow over the loss of hundreds of lives in Pakistan and India in deadly rains and floods since last week, offering UN assistance to the South Asian country.
In Pakistan, the deluges, triggered by cloudburst, have left behind a trail of destruction, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province where more than 350 people have been killed since Aug. 15, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The monsoon rains, which began on June 26, have so far claimed 707 lives across the South Asian country, one of the most climate-affected nations that has witnessed erratic weather events with increasing intensity in recent years.
In a post on X, Guterres said he felt “deep sorrow” for the lives lost due to the recent flash floods.
“I extend my sincere condolences to the victims’ families and stand in solidarity with those affected by this disaster,” he wrote. “The UN stands ready to provide any necessary assistance.”
Flooding has also hit India-administered Kashmir, where at least 67 people were killed and dozens remain missing after flash floods swept through the region last week.
Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.
The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. But increasingly erratic and extreme weather patterns are turning the rains into a destructive force.
Authorities in Pakistan have warned of a possible repeat of the catastrophic 2022 floods, which killed nearly 1,700 people and displaced millions of others.
“We are going through the seventh spell of monsoon of 2025,” NDMA chief Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik told reporters in Islamabad this week.
“The predictions that we made about the monsoon from June to September, there will be at least 9 to 10 spells, which will impact different areas of Pakistan.”
