When looking through the photos from the deadly floods in Pakistan, one main word comes to mind: loss. Thousands of lives, entire communities and the livelihoods of millions have been lost to the raging waters. To understand the gravity of this loss, our partner, Community World Service Asia, has been on the ground visiting communities and speaking with locals.
For Ashkor Kumar, loss has become the norm for the past two months. He explained, “we have been living here on the roadside for many weeks now. Our villages have drowned and we cannot go back to what’s left of our house. We really need protective shelters, clean water, food and mosquito nets at this time.” Another local, Bheru, shared that since the flooding he has been living in a small tent with his six children and parents. Bheru, who used to work as a laborer, has not only lost his home, but his ability to support his family as well.
For many Pakistani children, loss means being deprived of the right to live a safe and joyful childhood. One of these children is 13-year-old Luqman, whose home is currently surrounded by 10 feet of contaminated water. Unable to leave his home for almost a month, Luqman misses school and his friends.
Nishandan, her husband and her three children are still grappling with the loss of their entire town. Due to the intensity of the flooding, Nishandan and her family were evacuated by an army helicopter. The floods left them with nothing but each other and the clothes on their backs. Despite the tragedy, Nishandan still maintains hope. She shared, “I cannot wait to go back home and live a normal life but it seems far from near as our village is still drowning in water.”
Within tragedies there is one thing that is stronger than loss: hope. In our initial response, we are dispatching mobile health teams to provide immediate assistance to those in need of care. As officials warn that stagnant water can remain for 2-3 months, the need for emergency support will continue throughout Pakistan. Through our partner, CWSA, we are committed to continuing to monitor the needs of these communities so that they can feel hope for a better tomorrow.
See images of the flooding and our response in the gallery below:
