Pakistan Floods 2022
From rapid response to sustainable development
Unprecedented Flooding
In August 2022, Pakistan was hit with unprecedented flooding, across the regions of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Building on more than a decade of experience in the field, WaterAid Pakistan quickly stepped in, offering support where possible.
As water, sanitation and hygiene experts, our response focused on providing these essentials, as quickly as possible to minimize suffering.
The Scale of the Flooding
The Heavy monsoon rains and floods have affected 30 million people in Pakistan since mid-June and the disruption is on-going, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Satellite imagery, right, shows the extent of the floods. Local officials estimated that one third of the country was flooded. More than 1700 people were killed by devastating monsoon rains and floods including 588 children. At least 2.2 million homes were destroyed.
Immediately after the flood, 600,000 people were living in relief camps.
Pakistan is also home to 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees, the majority of whom were located in the worst-hit districts of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhunkhwa and Sindh.
The flood waters are still dissipating in some areas, making the risk of waterborne diseases much higher.
Working with local partners, WaterAid launched a flood response focussed on:
- disinfecting of drinking water sources
- providing hygiene kits
- building of temporary toilets in schools and camps
- clearing flood water
- Raising awareness on safe water, sanitation, and personal hygiene
- supporting the specific needs of women and girls in the flood affected areas including the provision of menstrual hygiene kits
Pakistan Flooding: Facts and Statistics
Our Response
Our Impact in Pakistan at a Glance
Water
People reached with clean water:
43,799
Sanitation
People reached with decent toilets:
69,248
Hygiene
People reached with hygiene awareness:
187,679
Our Response by Region
Pakistan Flooding Response
Sindh
Water: In Badin (Sindh), WaterAid is working with a partner organization LHDP on disinfecting water sources contaminated by the floods. By chlorinating 50 water sources, WaterAid will be provide access to clean drinking water to more than 13,000 people in the flood affected communities.
Sanitation: WaterAid and a partner LHDP constructed 80 emergency toilets with night lighting and privacy for women and girls. These toilets are serving more than 1,500 people. We continue to drain stagnant water from schools, health care facilities and villages to provide benefit over the more than 13,500 people who count on these facilities.
Hygiene: WaterAid and LHDP provided emergency hygiene and menstrual hygiene management kits to over 1,700 households with a target to reach more than 13,000 people. To date, we’ve conducted 40 hygiene behavior change sessions with plans to reach more than 20,000 people with lifesaving information about how to drink and store water safely and promote personal hygiene.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Water: In Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), we are rehabilitating and restoring three water supply schemes which were damaged during to the floods. With support from our partner organization IDEA, we are improving access to clean water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene for 3,600 people.
Sanitation: In Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), WaterAid and local partner IDEA are working to provide toilets and handwashing facilities in 30 schools. Our team is conducting technical assessments in collaboration with the district government to ensure that facilities are culturally appropriate, secure and sanitary.
Hygiene: In Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), WaterAid and IDEA are meeting basic needs with the provision of more than 700 hygiene kits for girls and women. We’ve reached more than 2,000 people with hygiene promotion sessions in communities and schools.
So far, 726 hygiene kits have been distributed among the affected families. Over 2,000 people have participated in 108 hygiene promotion sessions conducted in communities and schools this include 1,479 men, 481 women and 164 girls. This total number also includes 10 people with disabilities.
Punjab, Pakistan
Water: In Rajanpur (Punjab), WaterAid and local partner the Doabba Foundation has provided tankers of clean drinking water to 7,700 people as well as jerry cans for household water storage. Our teams also pumped water out of flooded areas, such as this school, shown above.
Sanitation: In Rajanpur (Punjab), working with the Boabba Foundation, WaterAid constructed 40 emergency toilet facilities benefitting 2,500 people.
Hygiene: In Rajanpur (Punjab), WaterAid through its partner Doabba Foundation conducted hygiene promotion sessions with 1,100 households. Hygiene kits including menstrual hygiene management kits have been distributed.
Water
When the flooding hit, entire communities and homes were washed away, as did critical water and sanitation infrastructure. While there is an abundance of flood water, it is not fit for drinking and very quickly became a significant source of illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea or malaria.
After working to meet communities basic needs in the aftermath of the disaster, WaterAid began the longer-term work required to repair and restore water systems.
Water Trucks
After the floods, one of the only ways to get water quickly to those who needed it was by tanker. This is critical in an emergency but isn’t a sustainable solution. So WaterAid began bringing damaged water systems back into service.
As our response work moved from emergency response to infrastructure repair, fewer water trucks were needed, as shown in the table below.
|
October |
November |
December |
|---|---|---|
|
1054 |
447 |
322 |
De-watering
Flood water should be removed as soon as possible to give engineers a sense of the underlying damage to the infrastructure. Together with partner organizations WaterAid pumped the water from nine flood sites, including a school.
Photo Credit: Wateraid/Khaula Jamil
Photo Credit: Wateraid/Khaula Jamil
Photo Credit: WaterAid/ Khaula Jamil
Photo Credit: WaterAid/ Khaula Jamil
Photo Credit: WaterAid/ Khaula Jamil
Photo Credit: WaterAid/ Khaula Jamil
Photo Credit: WaterAid/Khaula Jamil
Photo Credit: WaterAid/Khaula Jamil
Hygiene
WaterAid’s hygiene support is twofold. We must get hygiene supplies to those who need and and we need to ensure that communities have the correct information to keep them safe and healthy, especially in a crisis.
A typical hygiene kit, and those handed out in the initial emergency response includes the following items:
1. Soap
2. Water (usually in a jerry can for household storage)
3. Towels
4. Sanitary napkins
To date, WaterAid has distributed over 7,740 hygiene kits to families affected by the flooding, serving 59,072 people.
Hygiene Education Sessions
Once people receive hygiene kits, WaterAid runs workshops for the communities. It is a life-saving part of the response and enables our team to know about each community’s specific needs (i.e. those who might need extra support, such as a wheelchair user). These hands-on sessions help to spread hygiene messaging in communities with low rates of literacy.
WaterAid has held more than 1300 hygiene sessions throughout Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reaching 187,679 people.
Sanitation
With the support of our partners we are working on:
- Constructing emergency toilets in disaster camps and surrounding communities that meet the needs of women and girls
- Repairing household and institutional toilets (health care centers, schools).
In Badin (Sindh), WaterAid and LHDP have build 80 emergency toilets with lighting and privacy for women and girls, impacting 1,500 people.
In Rajanpur (Punjab), WaterAid and the Boabba Foundation have constructed 40 emergency toilets for 2,500 people.
WaterAid delivered 650 accessible toilets and wheelchairs to support residents with physical limitations.
Stories From the Field
Wajeeha is living with her family in camps in Ingerabad. While sitting on the banks of the river, she says, "Flood water has wiped away all my clothes and toys. I sit here all day to see if I can locate my dolls in the water."
Wajeeha is living with her family in camps in Ingerabad. While sitting on the banks of the river, she says, "Flood water has wiped away all my clothes and toys. I sit here all day to see if I can locate my dolls in the water."
Yasin & Spogmai are living in Ingerabad village. Their nearest water source is 1.25 miles away.
Yasin & Spogmai are living in Ingerabad village. Their nearest water source is 1.25 miles away.
Haadia washes her clothes in the river, locally known as Daraal in Swat. “This water is not clean, but I must wash our clothes and utensils in it because we have no other source left,” she says. “I got married eight months ago and during these floods we have lost everything including new clothes, furniture and jewelry. I can manage without those things, but I cannot manage without a toilet, which is a basic need. I usually go out at night so that no one can see. But I feel so embarrassed asking my husband to accompany me so that I can go relieve myself."
Haadia washes her clothes in the river, locally known as Daraal in Swat. “This water is not clean, but I must wash our clothes and utensils in it because we have no other source left,” she says. “I got married eight months ago and during these floods we have lost everything including new clothes, furniture and jewelry. I can manage without those things, but I cannot manage without a toilet, which is a basic need. I usually go out at night so that no one can see. But I feel so embarrassed asking my husband to accompany me so that I can go relieve myself."
Hurmat is now living with her husband and five children in Ingerabad village camp. "We have lost our home and our shop,” she says. “Our family has been living here for the last five days and the main issue is availability of clean drinking water, which is not very close to these camps. When my husband is not around, my daughters travel three to four times a day to collect water. It is unsafe for them."
Hurmat is now living with her husband and five children in Ingerabad village camp. "We have lost our home and our shop,” she says. “Our family has been living here for the last five days and the main issue is availability of clean drinking water, which is not very close to these camps. When my husband is not around, my daughters travel three to four times a day to collect water. It is unsafe for them."
Recovery
The work continues to rebuild and create more climate-resilient communities.
Due to damaged water and sanitation infrastructure, disease is a constant threat. There have been over 1,000 cases of cholera, 64,000 cases of dengue fever and Malaria has been reported in 32 districts as the flood waters are breeding grounds for mosquitos. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable as their immune systems are weakened by diarrhea, making them more susceptible to illness.
If you wish to support our work in Pakistan and around the world through sustainable access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, please consider making a donation or get in touch to learn how you can support our work. We accept donations via credit card, digital wallets, PayPal, cryptocurrency and stocks.
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