PAKISTAN IS DROWNING: FLOODS 2022
“Our loses are massive” –CM Abdul Qudoos Bezenjo
Flooding is the most destructive weather extreme that hampers normal life and trade. Pakistan flood history speaks about annual floods marking the floods of 2022 as the worst flood in Pakistan. Floods in Pakistan 2022, on average, have affected over 30 million people. Pakistan is still flooding in Southern Punjab and interior Sindh. More than 10 000 households are waiting in the open sky. Our homeless brothers are counting on you, waiting for your help and support. We at Rizq are playing our part in sending aid to the right hands. You need to play your part too!
Agriculture and Pakistan
Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan, contributing 25% to GDP and involving 48% of labour. Agriculture is not only the major food source but also provides raw materials to the industrial sector of Pakistan. The most important crops of Pakistan are wheat, rice and cotton, which are exported to various countries against foreign exchange. With the foreign exchange, other sectors are sustained. However, due to floods, the crops to be exported are destroyed, limiting the foreign exchange.
Main Causes of Floods in Pakistan 2022
A flood is the overflowing of water in dry lands. The causes of floods can be categorised into natural and human-induced floods. Pakistan’s latest floods occurred due to the following reasons.
Flash floods
Flash floods occur within a short time after the rainfall, and they allow less time for preparation and relocating people. Their destructive nature is evident in Balochistan, where houses have fallen apart, crops are washed away, and life is held back.
Urban Flooding
Urban flooding is the inundation of land or property in a densely populated area, failing the capacity of the drainage systems and increasing the damage of floods. In Pakistan floods 2022, about 60% of the houses are flushed away, increasing the scale of damage by the flood. In the agricultural sector, 504,321 livestock is harmed, a great loss to Pakistan’s economy.
Impact of Floods on Agriculture
July-August floods have caused mass destruction. The destruction is not only for the time being but for later causes. This includes the,
· The entire crop field is flooded, wasting the efforts and resources of a farmer.
· The loss of plants at the household level negatively impacts planting as the seeds are lost.
· Serious losses of wheat stock were a source of food until the next harvest.
· The crop that survives is not usable as the floodwater contaminates it.
· The most fertile topsoil is washed away that could not be stored perfectly through treatment.
Flooding Tears of Farmers
On a large scale, the residents of southern Punjab, interior Sindh and Balochistan are affected. Among these, a huge chunk of farmers approaching the Kharif crop harvest season is flooding tears. For them, it is difficult to see their day and night efforts being flooded, houses drowning, and families displaced. They are appealing to the nation to step forward and stand with them. They cannot express the loss they have faced, nor can their loss be compensated, but as a citizen, brothers and a nation, we can help reduce the grief.
Effects of July-August Floods in Pakistan
Pakistan is drowning due to heavy rainfall causing floods. The effects of floods in Pakistan are massive, and people have to face multiple challenges. Entire communities must endure hard times, struggling to survive and settle. Here are a few challenges that people face,
People in relevant areas have lost their loved ones. Some go missing in the chaos, while others depart from the world. On such great losses, the family has to leave them back and run for their lives.
The infrastructure is destroyed, making communication difficult. The survivors not only battle with the pressure of flowing water but fight against landslides, hunger and helplessness.
People in the affected areas are prone to water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and dengue fever. There is an entire battlefield where survival is difficult, and only your help is required.
The livestock is lost, there are no reserves or stocks, and people carry their children through the floods in the hope of help from you.
There is no access to necessities for survival. People are starving under the bare sky, sitting on the wetland. The adults are striving to get enough for their crying children.
Daily the death toll is rising, and operations are being conducted without any break. The world is upside down in these areas that need the nation’s attention and support.
