ISLAMABAD: In a fresh humanitarian crisis unfolding across Pakistan, at least 293 people have died and over 600 injured since late June as a deadly combination of glacial lake outbursts, cloudbursts, and unrelenting monsoon rains continues to devastate vast swathes of the country — from the Himalayan north to the southern plains.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has now warned of another intense monsoon spell beginning July 29, raising alarm over renewed threats of flash floods and landslides in vulnerable regions like Swat, Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Tourist Havens Turn Into Disaster Zones
Among the worst-hit areas are scenic tourist destinations such as Babusar Top and Naran, where a sudden cloudburst stranded dozens of visitors, triggering military-led rescue operations. With bridges washed away and key roads blocked, many remote communities remain cut off, hampering aid delivery.
“People are still trapped. The terrain is harsh and access is limited. The clock is ticking,” said a rescue official involved in the airlift efforts.
Relief Operations Hampered
While the NDMA, provincial disaster agencies, and the Pakistan Army are conducting operations, the response has been described as slow and patchy, particularly in northern mountainous regions where bad weather continues to disrupt helicopter missions.
Authorities have issued evacuation advisories for high-risk areas and warned tourists to stay away, but for many already affected, the alerts have come too late.
Climate Warnings Ignored
Environmental and disaster experts blame years of negligence, warning that the current crisis is symptomatic of deeper systemic failures.
“The pattern is repeating — glacial melts, erratic monsoons, unprepared institutions. It’s a deadly mix,” said a disaster risk analyst in Islamabad.
Pakistan has the largest number of glaciers outside the polar regions, making it uniquely vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Rising global temperatures are accelerating glacial melts, while deforestation, poor urban drainage, and unregulated construction amplify the disaster risk.
Echoes of 2022: Lessons Still Unlearned
This year’s catastrophe is already drawing comparisons to the 2022 monsoon floods, which left:
- Over 1,700 people dead
- 30 million displaced
- A third of the country underwater
- Estimated $30 billion in economic losses
Despite this, climate adaptation remains woefully absent from Pakistan’s development priorities. Civil society groups have long warned that without systemic change, even routine weather events will increasingly become mass fatality disasters.
What Lies Ahead
With another monsoon wave imminent, experts fear more loss of life, mass displacement, and economic fallout. The NDMA has urged early evacuation from flood-prone areas and promised to scale up operations, but there is widespread concern over institutional capacity and preparedness.
For millions of Pakistanis already reeling from destruction, the looming rains pose an existential threat — one they fear their country is still not ready for.
