Pakistan Floods 2022

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, October 28, 2022:  2022 is the year the world realized Climate Change is here – 33 M affected, 1,718 killed, and 12,800 injured.

 

·       2.1 M houses damaged/destroyed, 8 M people displaced, including 644,000 living in relief camps. 13 K km of roads damaged. 1.2 M livestock lost.

 

·       We are just about to reach 100 days since the first appeal, and people still need lifesaving assistance.

 

·       Water is receding – but now there's not enough water for boats. This is increasing the number of inaccessible areas. People are returning to nothing.

 

·       3 months on, 7% of the land is still inundated – people are surviving on fish from the water they drink, cook with, clean, and defecate in. 500 such villages in Taluka 7 of Jamshoro district alone.

 

·       Winter is here and brings with it a new set of needs and challenges. Health perils are changing face with a rise in respiratory diseases.

 

·       There is an increase in gender-based violence, especially in Southern Punjab. Women and children are at risk in camps and settlements. Girls may also face increased risks of child marriage as families who have lost their livelihoods struggle to make ends meet

 

·       Health: 8.2 million people need health assistance

o   An upward trend in acute respiratory diseases from 13561 cases last week to about 17000 cases this week

o   After the malaria outbreak, there is also a growing dengue outbreak - with 74% of these cases reported in September alone and mostly in the flood-affected areas

o   Around 650,000 pregnant women in flood-affected areas face challenges in getting access to maternal services. More than 73,000 women are due to give birth in the next month -- in the throes of the crisis

o   Almost 10 million children require immediate life-saving support, while nearly 4 million lack access to health services.

o   According to NDMA, close to 2,000 health facilities has been damaged or destroyed. Stocks of essential medicines and medical supplies are low. Access limitations remain.

 

·          Food & Drinking Water: Funding for food assistance may finish by the end of the year if more funds are not received

o  An estimated 14.6 million people require emergency food assistance from December through March 2023, representing an increase of more than 100 percent of the pre-flood estimate. This includes 4 million people in IPC Phase 4 (emergency)