JALALPUR PIRWALA, Pakistan (AP) – Rescuers, supported by the military, evacuated nearly 100,000 individuals overnight from the city of Jalalpur Pirwala, located in the eastern Punjab province of Pakistan. Many evacuees described their experiences of enduring extreme heat in makeshift tents and open areas after floodwaters submerged their homes and ravaged farmland. Reports indicate that over 122,000 people have been relocated in the past 24 hours, as confirmed by Irfan Ali Kathia, the director general of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority. A significant number of those evacuated sought refuge with relatives, while others ended up in relief camps.
Despite the ongoing rescue efforts, residents of flooded districts reported receiving minimal or delayed aid. The government claimed it was conducting simultaneous rescue and relief operations, asserting that daily truckloads of supplies were dispatched to affected areas. Flooding caused by continuous monsoon rains, cloudbursts, and water releases from Indian dams has displaced approximately 2.2 million individuals across Punjab since the previous month. Tragically, at least 61 people have lost their lives due to flood-related incidents during this period. Kathia highlighted that Multan, another significant city within Punjab, remains at risk of flooding as river levels continue to increase. Preparations are underway for controlled breaches of embankments, aiming to divert water towards rural areas to safeguard the cities.
Some evacuees expressed their harrowing experiences. Zarini Bibi, a 45-year-old mother, fled her flooded village near Jalalpur Pirwala alongside her children, stating, “I saw doomsday in the shape of this flood.” She described how her home, once a symbol of her dreams, is now submerged. With only the clothes on her back, she finds herself in a camp enduring intense heat and facing a shortage of donated food, lamenting, “It feels like we have become beggars.” Another displaced individual, Tariq Ullah, mentioned that his relatives could not accommodate him, leading his family to seek shelter in a roadside tent. He expressed gratitude for their lives, stating, “A house can be rebuilt, but life is given only once,” and noted that local political groups were assisting families like his.
Floodwaters have submerged more than 3,900 villages across 26 districts since August 23, as reported by Kathia. The National Disaster Management Authority disclosed that India, on a recent Tuesday, again provided river data, noting that one of the Indian rivers remains at danger levels, raising the risk of additional cross-border flooding in adjacent Pakistani regions. Nationwide, monsoon flooding since late June has resulted in over 900 fatalities, according to disaster authority statistics. Currently, about 80,000 displaced people are residing in relief camps throughout Punjab, and recent evacuations also occurred in southern Sindh province, where over 100,000 individuals were relocated last week.
Historically, Sindh was one of the regions most severely impacted during the catastrophic flooding of 2022, which claimed the lives of 1,739 people across Pakistan. The ongoing flood crises continue to present severe challenges for thousands of families, highlighting the urgent need for effective relief measures and support during this tumultuous period.
