• Since mid-June, 937 people have died from flooding caused by rainfall across Pakistan.
• The Asian nation is facing the "worst humanitarian disaster in the last ten years" according to the local ministry of climate change.
• The Pakistani air force has stepped up relief operations in the regions of Balochistan, Sindh and southern Punjab.

Almost a thousand deaths: this is the tragic toll of the monsoon season currently under way in Pakistan. According to the latest data, at least 937 people have died in the Asian nation as a result of heavy rainfall and flooding this summer. The government has called for international assistance, while the country has been struck by the eighth monsoon rainfall cycle. 33 million people, around 15% of the total population, have been affected by the recent floods: many of them are now without a home. Pakistan's meteorological department has stated that the country experienced its rainiest July since 1961.

Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan @AlkhidmatOrg

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In this time of calamity, we will certainly not leave our brothers alone. #AlkhidmatVolunteers are ready to risk their lives and cross all hurdles to support the flood affectees.
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Increasingly destructive monsoons

The regions of Balochistan and Sindh, located in the south of Pakistan, have been the worst affected. These areas do not normally experience a monsoon season with excessive rainfall and have a humid, semi-arid climate. Yet since the beginning of summer 2022, monsoon winds have brought rain and flooding that have so far caused enormous devastation. According to the United Nations, the floods have destroyed more than 95,000 homes and damaged hundreds of thousands of other buildings.

Pakistan has a ministry dedicated exclusively to climate change, and government officials state that this year's exceptional flooding is also due to global warming. Stressing the need for urgent relief measures, Minister Sherry Rehman stated: "The current climate catastrophe requires immediate international and national mobilisation, not only in the form of food, shelter and basic survival services, but we must also amplify our rescue efforts.

The country is going through its eighth monsoon cycle, whereas it normally has only three or four rainfall cycles. The super-flood percentages are shocking." On top of persistent economic difficulties, Pakistan is coming out of a period of excessive heat during which temperatures close to 50 degrees were reached. With the extreme heat over, the population has been struck by the devastating floods.

Pakistan is in danger

The southern province of Sindh, badly hit by the floods, has requested one million tents, while the neighbouring province of Balochistan has requested 100,000. Since the monsoon season began, more than 3,000 kilometres of roads and 130 bridges have been damaged, further worsening the already difficult relief situation. The damage may not be over: heavy rain and flooding are forecast in the coming days; schools in Balochistan and Sindh have been closed in anticipation of a new wave of monsoon rain expected towards the end of the week.

For this reason, the involvement of the international community is necessary: China announced on Wednesday that it will provide emergency humanitarian aid to Pakistan, according to a tweet from the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, the country's capital. The UN has stated that it has so far provided one thousand tonnes of food rations and food supplements. It has also sent medicines, water purification tablets, tents, mosquito nets, blankets, hygiene kits and other supplies to support the population. Through relief efforts, the already beleaguered Pakistan is trying to defend itself from the next climate disaster.