ne-third of Pakistan has been under water as a result of the worst floods in its history, which are thought to have affected 33 million people. Over 1,700 people have died as a result of the floods. The country had the wettest August since 1961 in 2022. It is noteworthy that nationwide rainfall from June to August this year was about 200 percent higher than the 30-year average. The rainfall in Sindh province was six times higher than the monthly average.

Zaman, from a village in Sindh said, “because I am the only breadwinner in my family, we already lead challenging lives and struggle to make ends meet. My woes have become worse because of this disaster; there was water everywhere and it is still there in several places.”

He added, “I am a diabetic and need to take my medication on time and eat food without sugar, but the flooding situation has disrupted everything.” Zaman couldn’t get his medicine for many days once the limited supply he had at home was gone. He said, “My house was damaged, and we were living outside. Even finding my family food and a place to live was a challenge.”

He said many people around him had developed skin conditions and diarrhoea; “it appeared as though hell had broken loose. I used to be a labourer in the fields, but since there was no job available, I felt incredibly helpless. We have been, and still are, hoping for a miracle to improve our lot in life.”

“My house was wrecked, we had no money, and my mother’s medications were drowned away, and we had no access to any health services,” said Darwish from another village, who also stated that his mother was old and ill. He said, “My children started getting sick, there were too many epidemic diseases, and we had no food, so I was concerned for my family’s livelihood, housing and health. We have not yet been restored. We don’t even have access to milk because we lost our cow to flooding, are living in a temporary shelter and have no other means of income.”

An old woman reported that their fields, homes, food and all of their possessions had been ruined by the floods and standing water. “It’s difficult to watch your possessions being destroyed and drowned in water. We had worked hard our entire lives and were able to get a little house with the necessities, but we lost everything right in front of our eyes.” An older man added, “My son used to work in a vegetable market, but now that floods have ruined everything, we have no income, and because of the rise in the cost of essentials, we can’t even afford to buy items for tea.”

“It’s difficult to watch your possessions being destroyed and drowned in water. We had worked hard our entire lives and were able to get a little house with the necessities, but we lost everything right in front of our eyes.”

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has produced a report titled Pakistan Floods 2022 Post Disaster Report that estimates the overall damage at Rs 3.2 trillion, total loss at Rs 3.3 trillion, and needs at Rs 3.5 trillion. With a total damage of Rs 1,345 billion, the social sectors of housing, health, education, and culture and heritage are the worst hit. More than 1.27 million homes suffered partial damage, and it is estimated that 780,000 homes were completely destroyed. Sindh’s housing stock has suffered the most among the provinces, making almost 83 percent of all housing damage.

Floods have damaged 17,205 educational institutions, affecting 94,478 teachers and over 2.6 million students, including more than a million female students. 13 percent of the medical facilities have been damaged by the floods. Nearly 4 million children lack access to health services, while over 650,000 pregnant women struggle to receive maternal treatment. Many cultural and heritage sites have been damaged by the floods; it is believed that 149 sites, including two world heritage sites in Sindh, have suffered damage.

A total of Rs 996 billion has been lost in agriculture, food, livestock and fisheries; water, resources, and irrigation; business and industry; finance and markets; and tourism. A total of 4,410 million acres of agricultural land has been harmed. According to estimates, 0.8 million animals died. Sindh province accounts for 72 percent of the damage in the agriculture, food, livestock and fisheries sectors.

A total of Rs 843 billion has been lost in the infrastructure sectors of transportation and communications, energy, water and sanitation, municipal services, and community infrastructure. 3,127 kilometres of railroad tracks and 8,330 kilometres of roadways are damaged. The most extensive harm to the communications infrastructure was done in Sindh. 2,716 sanitation schemes and 4,344 water supply schemes have suffered damage.

The government of Pakistan must prepare a thorough recovery and reconstruction strategy in order to properly recover and rebuild from these losses and damages. The strategy should clearly outline the road map. International organisations, the private sector, and civil society should all play a part in assisting the Pakistani government in providing assistance to its citizens. Reconstruction is a ray of hope and light for those who have been impacted by food.

The author is a  communications specialist and a freelance writer.  He is based in Rawalpindi and can be reached at: qureshiwaqas@gmail.com. He tweets @qureshiwaqasA