Pakistan: Flash Floods Wipe Out Livelihoods of 60% Families in Buner, Swat

The humanitarian organisation Islamic Relief, in its recent evacuation, indicated that 60 per cent of families in the severely affected regions of Buner and Swat have experienced a loss of their livelihoods due to flash floods, alongside significant destruction of homes and agricultural land, as reported by Dawn. 

Islamic Relief Team Distributes Food and Water In Affected Areas

The emergency response team from Islamic Relief has been actively distributing food and water in the area, and their assessment reveals that 73 percent of residences are either destroyed or partially damaged; 60 percent of individuals in Buner and 53 percent in Swat can no longer provide for their families; 80 percent of the farmland in Buner has suffered damage; and almost half of the livestock has died or been swept away, according to the Dawn report. 

The assessment also points out that 40 per cent of households are already reporting occurrences of diarrhoea, with water-borne illnesses spreading due to contamination from the bodies of victims and livestock, along with the destruction of sanitation facilities.

Raza Narejo, the acting country director of Islamic Relief Pakistan, stated, “While the flood waters are now receding, the consequences are significant and will impact the community for an extended period. 

Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of heavy rainfall and possible flooding in various regions of the country between August 23 and August 30, as reported by Geo News. 

The authority warned that localised heavy rains could lead to flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in mountainous areas. Districts including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, Malakand, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Tank, Bannu and Lakki Marwat are likely to be affected, as per Geo News. (Inputs from ANI)

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