Muridke, PAKISTAN: Volunteers are ferrying food, drinking water and medicine by boat to thousands of families stranded by monsoon flooding in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province this week, as residents say they have spent days trapped without official assistance and aid workers warn of growing health risks.
The scenes from Muridke, near Punjab’s provincial capital Lahore, underscore the worsening humanitarian impact of this year’s monsoon season, which has already killed at least 109 people and injured 362 since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Authorities have warned of more rain and possible flooding in the coming days.
Volunteer Mehboob Alam said rescue teams and aid workers were delivering meals by boat to families still marooned on rooftops after floodwaters submerged dozens of villages.
“There is water everywhere, but no drinkable water. There is nothing to eat. People sit on the roofs of their houses, waiting for attention,” Alam said.
“By God’s grace, we are here morning, noon, and evening, delivering food to them by boat, bringing them breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We cook and deliver food every day for approximately two thousand families.”
Alam said stagnant floodwater was also increasing the risk of disease, particularly among children, prompting volunteers to establish a free medical camp:
“Looking forward, the need is immense. Thousands of people are affected and are still on the roofs of their homes. By Allah’s grace, the rescue of hundreds of families by boat is still ongoing.”
“It’s been four days that we’ve been stuck here, surrounded by water. Children have also spent these days with contaminated water,” resident Muhammad Mushtaq told AFP.
“For ablution and prayer, we’re using this water. We’re in a very bad state. No official has helped us at all.”
According to the NDMA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded the highest number of monsoon-related deaths this season with 55 fatalities, followed by Punjab with 36. More than 790 houses have been damaged, over 23 kilometers of roads washed away, 25 bridges destroyed and 379 livestock killed since June 26.
Pakistan experiences heavy monsoon rains every year, with flooding frequently damaging homes, crops and infrastructure. In 2022, record monsoon floods submerged a third of the country, killed more than 1,700 people and affected about 33 million people in one of the country’s worst natural disasters.
