Islamic Relief releases report on devastating long-term effects of Pakistan’s floods
Pakistan encountered devastating flooding in August and September last year, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describing the disaster as a “monsoon on steroids“. Over 1,700 people and about 800,000 cattle and other livestock perished in the floods.
33 million lost their homes, land or jobs, while 28,000 schools and health clinics were damaged. A year on, a report by Islamic Relief Worldwide has revealed the disaster’s worrying long-term impact on people and called for compensation for countries most affected by climate change.
One year after the deadly flooding, 40% of the children surveyed for the report had stunted growth and 25% were underweight as families struggle to access food and healthcare. Islamic Relief researchers were also alerted of increasing outbreaks of dengue and diarrhoea.
Women and girls reported being indiscriminately affected, with pregnant women struggling to receive treatments and girls most likely to be underweight. A number of women displaced by the floods do not have access to privacy to breastfeed their babies.
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Speaking at the launch of the report, Waseem Ahmad, chief executive of Islamic Relief Worldwide, highlighted the need for climate justice, where the biggest polluters compensate countries most affected for the damage and destruction caused by the climate emergency.
As climate-driven disasters increase, it is the poorest and most vulnerable people who bear the brunt of the suffering, Ahmad added, underscoring such people are the ones most likely to live in fragile houses and least likely to have any kind of ‘Plan B’ to fall back on.
While Pakistan remains the sixth most populous country in the world, it was responsible for just 0.88% of global carbon emissions in 2020. The figure is even less than one-eighth of the US’s per capita emissions and one-third of the UK’s.
It’s one of the countries most susceptible to changes in the climate with its agricultural sector particularly exposed to brutal weather events. The report said agricultural output had substantially reduced this year, while a growing number of rural people migrate in search of work.
