By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has doubled ex-gratia assistance for families of those killed in recent floods and monsoon rains to Rs2 million from Rs1 million, as authorities grapple with the aftermath of a disaster that has affected over 4.2 million people and killed around 1,000 across the country.
The decision, announced during a Senate standing committee meeting on Friday, will carry a financial impact of approximately Rs2.033 billion, according to a briefing by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The floods, which battered 18 districts in Punjab province alone, have left thousands homeless, damaged critical infrastructure, and deepened food insecurity, a United Nations report showed. A Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) conducted by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) from Sept. 8 to 18 revealed the scale of the crisis.
The report, compiled in collaboration with the government, covered 1,928 villages in the hardest-hit districts, with Muzaffargarh bearing the brunt, accounting for over 25% of the 4.2 million affected people.
Jhang followed with 646,000 affected (15.3%), Bahawalpur with 514,000 (12.2%), Khanewal with 397,000 (9.4%), and Multan with 347,000 (8.2%). The RNA found that of 161,000 assessed houses, 115,700 were partially damaged and 46,000 fully or severely damaged, displacing approximately 2.8 million people. Over 93% of assessed locations reported housing damage, with Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal, and Jhang the worst affected.
Urgent needs include tents, tarpaulins, galvanized iron sheets, plastic sheeting, and winterization kits such as blankets, bedding, mats, shawls, mosquito nets, and warm clothes.
The floods have also crippled healthcare infrastructure, with 395 of 742 assessed health facilities damaged—315 partially and 80 fully or severely. Bahawalnagar reported the highest number of damaged facilities at 64, followed by Jhang (55) and Muzaffargarh (46). The damage threatens access to essential care, delays outbreak responses, and heightens community vulnerability, the RNA noted.
Malaria emerged as the most prevalent health concern, reported in 64% of assessed villages, followed by skin infections and diarrhea, reflecting deteriorating water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions. Dengue cases were also significant, compounding the challenge of vector-borne diseases.
The education sector has not been spared. According to the School Education Department, 667 schools were damaged, with 54% being girls’ schools. Sialkot reported the highest damage with 210 schools affected, followed by Jhang (110), Gujrat (83), Muzaffargarh (82), and Kot Addu (82). Additionally, 217 schools are being used as evacuation centers, disrupting education for 101,263 students.
The floods have devastated agriculture and livestock, the primary income sources for over 85% of communities in districts like Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Kasur, Khanewal, and Vehari. Livestock rearing, a key livelihood for over 70% of communities, has been hit hard by animal deaths and disrupted agricultural cycles.
Daily wage labour, another critical income source, has dwindled as farm work and local markets stall. Food insecurity is acute, with most communities reporting food stocks lasting a week or less. In Multan, 81.7% of communities face critically low stocks, followed by Bahawalnagar (76.2%), Muzaffargarh (74%), and Bahawalpur (61.5%). Nearly 97,000 water supply schemes were damaged, with 48,500 fully destroyed, 60% of which were in Muzaffargarh. The widespread destruction of water infrastructure has exacerbated health risks.
An NDMA official told the Senate committee, chaired by Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hassan, that around 3 million people were rescued or evacuated between June 26 and Sept. 19. The floods damaged 12,559 houses and killed 6,509 livestock, with numbers expected to rise as assessments continue. Approximately 1,000 people have died, and another 1,000 have been injured, the official said, cautioning that final figures are pending as rescue and relief operations proceed.
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