“In the early hours, at 2 a.m., floodwaters rushed in. I ran to the roof while my brother went back for our belongings but was swept away. He survived, but we lost everything, including our livestock. Now, I am staying with relatives,” says Parveen, a resident of Chakwal, Punjab.
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The fear of that night still echoes across Pakistan’s flood-affected regions. Ameena Bibi, 40, a mother of five from Buner district, recalls the moment disaster struck: “Just one thunderclap and the entire city of Buner was wide awake all night.” She was washing clothes when floodwaters surged into her home. Within minutes, the water rose to chest level, forcing her to seek higher ground.
Since June 26, 2025, floods from cloudbursts, glacial lake outbursts, and swollen rivers have claimed more than 1000 lives, injured nearly 1,100 people, damaged over 12,500 houses, and washed away nearly 240 bridges. Over 6,500 livestock have died.