Editorial
By Dr. Busharat Elahi Jamil
The worst flood disasters in history are currently plaguing Pakistan. Unfortunately, under these cases, people’s suffering increases significantly when they are left to deal with the terrible conditions alone. The suffering of the flood victims has not been alleviated by the administration’s poor management, the foolish policies and tactics of avaricious and inept politicians, or both. Provincialism, corruption, political ties, nepotism, and number games are putting the victims in a life-or-death predicament even during this natural calamity. The people are not given priority by the reigning political parties of Punjab and Sindh, the PML-N and PPP, who are primarily interested in stifling their own ineptitude by accusing and questioning one another’s performance.
More than 2,000 people, including children, are said to have died in the recent disaster. The UN claims that six million people are impacted altogether, while Aljazeera reports that about two million individuals are relocated. The report also cites local authorities who say that since June 26, the water has destroyed or damaged over 12,500 homes, killed 6,500 cattle, and severely damaged crops. In a report of United Nation the number of displaced people is 2.5 million. UN also in its report mentioning the data of NDMA in which this is cited that 239 bridges, 700 KM roads and 2.2 million hectares of cropland have been damaged or destroyed. By the end of August 2025 the flood caused around $15 billion cost of damages and also around $15.5 billion of economic fatalities while the figures are still swelling.
But on ground situation is extremely worst and challenging. Only in Punjab, floods affected almost 5 million people across 27 districts out of a total of 37 (about 5000 villages). The Daily Dawn reports that 2.11 million animals in Punjab are affected. In addition, 70% of the province is flooded. Not only are large cities and metropolitan areas suffering from innumerable damages, but the bureaucracy and administration are unable to take the dire situation seriously.
The non-serious role of the provincial governments is actually responsible of human crisis. In spite of the knowledge, the provincial administrations failed to prepare for the floods and severe rains, which greatly increased the damage to infrastructure, livestock, and human life. Unfortunately, factors that are exacerbating the demolition and losses include a lack of dams, living in river belts, unlawful housing schemes, ignorance, financial and moral corruption, incompetence, a deficient drainage system, etc. Furthermore, Lack of food, mismanagement, medicines, shelter houses, rescue teams and appropriate equipment and shortage of fodder for livestock particularly in rural areas are the big challenges to deal with in impacted areas.
The social and economic issues facing Pakistanis have been made worse by the severe floods. Already, about half of Pakistanis were below the poverty level. To rehabilitate and settle the flood victims, the rulers should carefully consider the circumstances and create the necessary policies. This is also a very important opportunity for the provincial governments to show their strengths in performance. Countries experience hardships, but it is unclear how these will be handled in the future.
