As the monsoon season battered Pakistan’s Punjab province this September, a humanitarian crisis unfolded on an epic scale. Relentless rains, swollen rivers, and surging floodwaters have left at least 101 people dead, displaced millions, and submerged thousands of villages, according to the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). The catastrophe, which has also impacted neighboring Sindh province and even parts of northern India, underscores the growing vulnerability of the region to climate change and the immense challenges of disaster response in one of the world’s most densely populated agricultural heartlands.
The numbers are staggering. As reported by the PDMA and corroborated by international outlets such as the Associated Press and BBC, more than 4,700 villages and approximately 4.57 million residents have been affected across Punjab alone. Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed stated that around 2.51 million people had been relocated to safer areas as of September 13, 2025, with the total number of evacuees in Punjab surpassing two million, and another 150,000 moved to safety in Sindh province. National disaster management chief Inam Haider Malik warned that “the number may rise over the coming days,” as the situation remained fluid and unpredictable.
The rivers Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi have been at the heart of the crisis. The Chenab alone inundated 2,489 villages, while the Sutlej and Ravi affected 701 and 1,458 villages respectively. In Rajanpur, Deputy Commissioner Shafqatullah Mushtaq confirmed that a flood surge at Head Panjnad had merged into the Indus River at Kot Mithan, where high-level flooding continued to threaten communities. Floodwaters poured into the Kacha riverine belt, forcing authorities to issue urgent public announcements and organize mass evacuations. In Jalalpur Pirwala, where water levels had reached the official danger mark, the threat began to recede by September 12, sparing its 700,000 residents from the worst. However, the relief was short-lived for others, as rising waters swamped villages near Shujaabad and Liaquatpur, prompting panicked evacuations.
The scale of displacement is difficult to fathom. Dozens of villages around Jalalpur Pirwala were inundated last week, displacing tens of thousands. Many residents, fearing for their property and livestock, initially resisted evacuation. As one 50-year-old survivor, Naseem Mai, told the Associated Press, “I never thought the water would inundate my village. We escaped with only the clothes we were wearing.” Such stories are heartbreakingly common, with families forced to flee in the dead of night, sometimes paying exorbitant fees to private boat owners—who even charged for infants, according to local accounts.
The rescue operations have been both heroic and perilous. Rescuers have had to go door-to-door, using boats to relocate villagers and their animals, but these efforts are fraught with danger. On September 9, nine people died after a rescue boat capsized in the Indus River. Days earlier, five perished in a similar accident near Jalalpur Pirwala. In total, 18 people lost their lives in boat overturnings in Jalalpur Pirwala and Rahim Yar Khan districts this week alone. The body of a man named Akhtar, who drowned while attempting to move animals to safety, was recovered in Uch Sharif.
Authorities have scrambled to respond. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif dispatched senior ministers, including Marriyum Aurangzeb, to oversee rescue and relief operations. Visiting flood-hit Liaqatpur on September 12, Sharif praised the rescue teams and ordered that life jackets and life rings be made mandatory in all rescue operations. Aurangzeb assured residents, “We will ensure that we rescue each and every person,” while residents in Jalalpur Pirwala credited her with easing their ordeal by ensuring a steady supply of food, medicines, and essentials.
Relief efforts have extended far beyond boats and emergency crews. The South Punjab government deployed airlift drones in what officials described as Pakistan’s first emergency airlift drone service, capable of delivering up to 200 kilograms of food and medicine to otherwise inaccessible areas and even evacuating people. Ten more drones are slated for procurement to expand the operation. The Punjab Saaf Pani Authority has delivered 1.57 million litres of clean drinking water to more than 525,000 people, with nearly 193,000 litres supplied in a single day. Across the hardest-hit districts, 392 relief camps, 493 medical camps, and 422 veterinary camps have been established. Over 16,000 police officers, supported by 770 vehicles and 40 boats, have rescued more than 681,000 people and moved over two million livestock to safety. The Pakistan Army has also joined the effort, working alongside Rescue 1122 teams and local volunteers.
Yet, for many, the misery continues. Displaced families, now living in relief camps or under open skies, have pleaded with authorities to let them keep their tents after the waters recede, knowing they will need shelter while rebuilding homes. “Many women wash and reuse the only clothes they have,” reported the Associated Press, highlighting the acute shortage of basic supplies. Epidemic diseases, including stomach infections and skin rashes, have been reported in low-lying areas still under 6 to 8 feet of water.
The environmental and infrastructural context is grim. Climate change has intensified Pakistan’s vulnerability, with heavy rains and melting glaciers causing rivers to overflow and new lakes to form, some at risk of glacial outbursts. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority has delivered tonnes of relief supplies—blankets, tents, water filtration devices—but critics argue that years of underinvestment in disaster mitigation, such as better alert systems and resilient infrastructure, have left the country dangerously exposed. As BBC noted, 40% of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line, compounding the devastation wrought by the floods.
Reservoirs and river flows are being closely monitored. Mangla Dam is 93% full and Tarbela Dam is at capacity, while India’s Bhakra, Pong, and Thein dams are also near full. The Federal Flood Commission reported extreme flooding at Guddu on the Indus and predicted very high-level flooding at Guddu and Sukkur within 24–48 hours. However, with rains now stopped in the upper catchment areas, river flows are gradually returning to normal, and officials hope that displaced people may soon begin to return home.
The international community has responded as well. The United Nations allocated $5 million to support Pakistan’s flood response in early September, and the US State Department approved funding and deployed disaster response personnel—marking the first such assistance during President Trump’s second term, according to ABC. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a climate emergency and ordered the development of a 300-day plan to address the growing challenges posed by climate change.
As the waters slowly recede, the daunting task of rehabilitation looms. Inam Haider Malik, the national disaster management chief, cautioned that “rehabilitation work” on thousands of villages and fields cannot begin until the water fully dries—a process that will take weeks. For now, the focus remains on survival and relief, as Pakistan grapples with yet another reminder of the urgent need for resilience in the face of a changing climate.