Summary
- More than 170 people, including 85 children, have died in eastern Pakistan due to torrential rains and flooding.
- Punjab province is the worst-hit, with homes, roads, and crops destroyed; emergency relief camps are being set up.
- Experts warn that the floods reflect Pakistan’s growing vulnerability to the climate crisis, with glacial melt and erratic monsoons worsening the disaster.
A Climate Emergency in Punjab
Pakistan is reeling from one of its deadliest monsoon disasters in recent years, with relentless floods claiming over 170 lives, half of them children, in Punjab province alone. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed that 54 deaths occurred in the past 24 hours as torrential rains triggered widespread devastation—collapsing homes, cutting off roads, and submerging entire farmlands. The province’s urban centers, including Rawalpindi and Lahore, remain inundated, while military teams have been deployed to assist with evacuations and relief operations.
Local accounts paint a grim picture. Mahar Hammad, a vegetable vendor from Sargodha, described how the rains wiped out his livelihood: “Everything got submerged in water. I work all day to earn 1,000 rupees, but now even that goes into losses.” Emergency shelters have been established to provide food, medical care, and temporary housing, but the scale of destruction suggests that the road to recovery will be long and arduous.
Breaking News: At least 63 people have reportedly been killed during g last 24 hours in Punjab Province of Pak as a rest of heavy torrential rain which is still continuing incessantly for today last 16 hours. Many roads in Rawalpindi Islamabad inundated.pic.twitter.com/OHb50lzbVD
— Fakhar Ur Rehman (@Fakharrehman01) July 17, 2025
Children and Vulnerable Communities at Risk
- 85 children have died since June 26 due to drowning and waterborne illnesses.
- Aid agencies warn of outbreaks of dysentery, dengue, and malaria in flooded areas.
- Relief efforts, including inflatable boat rescues, are struggling to reach remote villages.
Children remain the most vulnerable as floodwaters rise. The risk of waterborne diseases looms large, with health experts pointing to contaminated drinking water and stagnant pools as breeding grounds for infections. Video footage from Punjab’s Disaster Management Authority shows emergency teams ferrying stranded children in rafts, often navigating waist-deep currents.
The scale of displacement is reminiscent of the 2022 catastrophe when a third of Pakistan was submerged, displacing millions and killing over 1,000 people. The current disaster, though smaller in scale, has again exposed glaring gaps in infrastructure and preparedness, especially in rural communities where drainage and flood defenses are nearly nonexistent.
Climate Crisis and Policy Failures
- Pakistan faces extreme climate patterns: heatwaves and accelerated glacial melt followed by torrential monsoons.
- Former climate minister Sherry Rehman warns that urban planning remains grossly inadequate.
- UN agencies highlight that Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters.
“This is not just bad weather – it’s a symptom of an accelerating climate crisis,” Sherry Rehman warned on X. The senator’s remarks highlight the pressing need for climate-resilient infrastructure, better early warning systems, and disaster preparedness. Persistent heatwaves earlier this year intensified glacial melt in the northern regions, setting the stage for flash floods that now compound the monsoon havoc.
The devastating impact of these floods reinforces calls for international climate financing and regional cooperation. While relief operations continue, the broader question remains: how will Pakistan adapt to a climate reality that strikes with growing frequency and ferocity?
The Way Forward: Rebuilding and Resilience
The floods of 2025, coming just three years after Pakistan’s worst flood disaster, underline the urgent need for systemic reforms. Urban development, particularly in flood-prone cities like Lahore and Rawalpindi, requires comprehensive drainage and water management systems. Rural areas need stronger embankments, better irrigation planning, and localized weather alerts.
Yet, rebuilding homes and restoring livelihoods for millions will take months, if not years. Aid groups have urged the government to prioritize health and sanitation, warning that waterborne diseases could claim more lives than the floods themselves. The haunting images of displaced families and submerged fields serve as a sobering reminder that the fight against climate change is no longer theoretical—it’s unfolding in real time.
