33 million people affected: severe flooding in Pakistan

Created: 08/27/2022, 20:16

People in Pakistan flee monsoon rains © Abdul MAJEED / AFP

Pakistan is experiencing severe flooding as a result of monsoon rains hitting the country.

33 million people are affected.

Islamabad - The authorities in Pakistan have ordered the evacuation of thousands of people because of the risk of flooding.

Initially, some people refused to leave their homes, Bilal Faisi from the rescue service Rescue 1122 told the AFP news agency on Saturday.

However, when the water level rose, they agreed.

Since the beginning of the year, almost 1,000 people have died in Pakistan as a result of the monsoon rains and their aftermath.

Floods in Pakistan: 33 million people affected by floods

"The house that we built through years of hard work began to sink before our eyes," said 23-year-old Junaid Khan, who owns two fish farms in Charsadda in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Many rivers burst their banks in the region, destroying numerous buildings.

According to the Pakistani authorities, more than 33 million people - one in seven Pakistanis - have been affected by this year's floods.

Almost a million homes were destroyed or badly damaged.

Pakistan's government declared a state of emergency because of the disaster.

Floods in Pakistan: Monsoon comparable to 2010 disaster

The monsoon season in Pakistan usually lasts from June to September.

The monsoon plays an important role in agriculture and water supplies, but it also causes devastating floods time and again.

According to the authorities, the extent of this year's floods is comparable to that of 2010, when around a fifth of the country was flooded.

More than 2000 people lost their lives and around 20 million people were left homeless.

Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to climate change.

According to the German development and environmental organization Germanwatch, it is the eighth country most threatened by extreme weather events.