Floods in Pakistan

Areas affected after the monsoon rainfall [map].

UUSC-UUA Joint Pakistan Flood Relief Fund: $292,233 (as of 10/12/11) 

Background

Pakistan's 2010 flooding was the largest disaster ever recorded in terms of land area involved, number of people affected, and quantity of houses damaged. The massive monsoon floods that began in July 2010 submerged more than 1.9 million homes and 9 million acres of croplands and swept away thousands of roads and bridges. The flooding affected over 20 million people.

The magnitude of the disaster is staggering. One-fifth of the country's land was damaged by the floodwaters. The number of survivors affected by the 2010 flooding in Pakistan exceeds the combined total of individuals affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

One year later, as communities still struggle to restore their homes, lands, and livelihoods, torrential rains once again produced massive flooding in much of southern Pakistan. In September and October 2011, monsoon floodwaters have submerged over 4 million acres of land and affected nearly 9 million people — the vast majority of whom were already vulnerable from last year's floods. Many families have been displaced along the roadsides, while the sluggish global response has not kept pace with the need.

For countless survivors of these vast floods, the situation remains critical. Many families are without adequate shelter and people's options for supporting themselves have been severely diminished. The recovery in Pakistan has been and will continue to be long and arduous, especially for those people at risk of being held back from recovery — and exploited in the process — because of gender, class, caste, religion, nationality, and geography.

UUSC's approach

UUSC launched the UUSC-UUA Joint Pakistan Flood Relief Fund in August 2010 to support a recovery without exploitation — and these efforts continue in the wake of the 2011 flooding.

UUSC is working with several partners in Pakistan to make sure that women, children, and ethnic minorities are not left out of the recovery process. Located in Pakistan's southern provinces of Punjab and Sindh, UUSC's response focuses on sustainable livelihoods for flood-affected women as well as income-generation and shelter solutions for under-reached and overlooked communities. With UUSC support, partner organizations are reaching - and empowering — thousands of individuals and families.

Together, and with your continued generous support to the UUSC-UUA Joint Pakistan Flood Relief Fund, we are helping flood-affected communities access the relief, recovery, and hope they need and deserve.

Last updated: November 7, 2011