1/3 of Pakistan is underwater. Over 33 million people have been affected by the extreme weather. More than 1,000 lives have been lost.
- So far, UNHCR has delivered 1.1 million core relief items (CRIs) to Pakistan from various UNHCR stockpiles.
- UNHCR and partners have begun rolling out cash assistance to flood-affected people. Over 100 households received cash assistance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with plans to extend to Balochistan and Punjab provinces.
UNHCR handed over emergency relief items to Pakistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority and is supporting the government-led response, alongside other national and international partners, to respond to refugee and host community needs.
Afghan refugees take shelter at Kheshgi refugee village in Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while emergency supplies at UNHCR's warehouse in Azakhel village, also in Nowshera District, are prepared for delivery to support flood-affected people in the region.
Afghan refugee children and elders take shelter at Kheshgi refugee village, Nowshera District, in Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. UNHCR is supporting community members displaced by the monsoon flooding with tents, sleeping mats, blankets, plastic sheeting, buckets and kitchen sets. ; Some 33 million people in Pakistan have been affected by weeks-long monsoon floods across the country that have killed more than 1,100 people and left 6.4 million in need of urgent support. Since June 2022, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. More than 420,000 Afghan refugees live among host communities in worst-hit Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where UNHCR has provided 10,000 tents and other aid items, and in Sindh province, where UNHCR is sending help to 50,000 households.
What is happening in Pakistan?
Since mid-June, over 30 million people in Pakistan have been affected by unprecedented rains and devastating floods across the country, leaving 6.4 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Extreme and intense rainfall is expected to continue in September and October in Sindh province – the hardest-hit area – and threatens to exacerbate an already dire situation for at-risk populations who are among the most vulnerable to climate change.
What is UNHCR doing to help?
As part of UN-system wide efforts, UNHCR is supporting the government-led response to scale up humanitarian assistance for refugee and host communities affected by the monsoon rains. UNHCR – as the protection sector lead – is coordinating with other partners to mainstream protection, ensure gender sensitive approaches and promote refugee inclusion. UNHCR is also actively engaged in the inter-sectoral coordination of the shelter, WASH, education, health, food and nutrition, and livelihoods response.
While the main priority is to provide assistance to the worst flood-hit areas with relief items to address immediate needs, discussions are already underway to reprioritize activities for early recovery. In this regard, a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) led by the Government of Pakistan with support from UNHCR, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and UNDP has been initiated to coordinate recovery and rehabilitation efforts among development partners.