IslamiCity

Pakistan has been facing one of its harshest monsoon seasons in years. Floods and landslides have taken the lives of hundreds and forced thousands of families out of their homes. The northern areas, especially places like Swat, Buner, Bajaur, and Shangla, have been hit the hardest, entire villages have been swept away, and even rescue teams have lost their lives while trying to help.

In Punjab, rivers such as the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej have overflowed after water releases from across the border. Farmland has been submerged, animals lost, and over a hundred thousand people had to leave their homes in districts like Layyah, Multan, and Kot Addu. For many, the fear now is not only the floods but also how they will find food in the coming months.

Even Karachi, the country's largest city, has struggled. With the heaviest rainfall since the late 1970s, the city's fragile drainage systems collapsed. Streets turned into rivers, electricity was cut for long hours, and families were left without clean water, showing how unprepared our cities are for such disasters.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, more than 700 people have lost their lives nationwide and close to a thousand have been injured. From Sindh and Balochistan to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, the destruction has touched nearly every corner of the country.

Experts say climate change has made the rains heavier, while poor planning and illegal construction on waterways have only worsened the damage. Pakistan's climate minister even called this a wake-up call, a reminder that we cannot ignore disaster planning and land management any longer.

Relief efforts are ongoing. Camps are being set up, and helicopters and boats are being used to reach those cut off by the floods. But broken roads, collapsed bridges, and overwhelmed hospitals make everything slower. With more rains still expected, the fear is that the suffering may deepen before recovery begins.