Pakistan is suffering widespread destruction from flooding due to exceptionally heavy monsoon rains, affecting some 33 million people. One-third of the country is now underwater, according to Pakistani officials. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are on the ground providing primary health care, drinking water, and essential supplies, although access to some areas remains extremely challenging. Many of our own staff members have been directly affected by the disaster, including colleagues whose homes have been flooded. Given the number of people affected, an urgent scale-up of the humanitarian response is needed.
Southern and central Pakistan have been most affected, particularly Balochistan and Sindh provinces, which have seen more than four times the normal amount of rain for this season, according to Pakistan’s meteorological office. More than 1,000 people have died, and more than 1,500 people have been injured.
MSF teams see widespread needs for clean water, shelter, and sanitation facilities. With roads and access points deluged, food and other supplies are dwindling. Humanitarian groups are working to support the distribution of food and relief items. The lack of adequate water and sanitation creates severe risks for outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, while diseases such as dengue and malaria are also expected to increase. With heavy rains predicted to continue over the monsoon season, steps must be taken to safeguard people who are now displaced in areas that remain prone to further flooding.
MSF’s response in Balochistan
In Balochistan, 31 out of 33 districts have been severely affected. Areas around Dera Murad Jamali (DMJ) have experienced significant flooding over the last two weeks. MSF teams, including staff whose own homes were flooded, have responded quickly to provide primary health care to people displaced by the disaster. We have provided aid to people gathered along the roads, in schools, and other makeshift shelters.
