9 September 2022 – by Ottoline Mary
Since the beginning of the 2022 rainy season, “Biblical proportion” floods in Pakistan have killed 1300 people, injured 12,500, and provoked the displacement of 634,000. Over one third of the country is currently under water, and one in seven Pakistanis have been affected.
Due to geographical parameters, Pakistan has always been particularly vulnerable to floods. However, the frequency and scope of extreme weather events are exacerbated by global warming. In the present case, three months of incessant monsoon rain are not only destroying infrastructure but also jeopardising food security through crop damage – which is contributing to aggravate the country’s rampant inflation and “further entrenching Pakistan’s compounding economic and political crises”.
Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched a global humanitarian campaign aiming to mitigate the consequences of this disaster. The organisation has mounted an airlift operation to supply the most heavily impacted regions with tents, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, and sheets of waterproof canvas.
Funds are also being mobilised to support the Pakistani government in its assistance to households, including through an online donation portal.
The situation could further deteriorate in weeks to come, as the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicts increased rainfall in the coming month.
A global and tailored response is vital to repair damages and curtail further destruction. In addition to the principle of solidarity, there is an ethical case for Global North countries to commit to alleviate climate-induced hazards in the Global South, given that the former are historically responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the lack of technology and funds to build flood-resistant infrastructure can also be attributed to historical biases in favour of today’s most powerful nations.
