The level of severity in Pakistan escalated in 2022 due in large part to last year’s floods, which affected 33 million people — roughly one out of every seven people in the country. The rains were the worst the country has faced since it began recording climate data in 1918. “The magnitude and scale of the destruction to the country cannot be underestimated,” said Sherzada Khan, Concern’s acting Country Director for Pakistan, last August. “We are responding to a very serious humanitarian situation.”

How did it get so bad?

The devastating floods that hit Pakistan in 2022 were not an isolated incident. In fact, Pakistan is one of the countries that is most heavily impacted by the effects of climate change. In the summer of 2021, temperatures in the Sindh city of Jacobabad reached an alarming 126º F. Karachi, another major city in Pakistan, has been identified as a "climate hot spot" by the World Bank.

These challenges are rooted in Pakistan's complex history of colonialism and political instability, which have made it difficult for the country to develop sustainable infrastructure and address issues such as climate change. In addition to these systemic challenges, Pakistan also faces ongoing issues with violence and social unrest that have left many of its citizens, especially those living in rural areas, vulnerable to displacement, hunger, water shortages, and poverty.

The United Nations estimates that a staggering 20.6 million people in Pakistan are currently in need of assistance. As Concern, an organization with over two decades of experience in Pakistan, continues to respond to the needs of those affected by the 2022 floods in the provinces of Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab, it is clear that there is still much work to be done to address the root causes of these ongoing challenges and build a more sustainable future for all Pakistanis.

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What's being done

Concern, an organization with over 20 years of experience in Pakistan, is currently aiding those affected by the 2022 floods in the provinces of Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab. The relief packages provided by Concern include cash transfers to assist extremely vulnerable families in obtaining essential items, as well as hygiene and dignity kits. Additionally, through the USAID-funded Responding to Pakistan’s Internally Displaced (RAPID) program, Concern offers grants to both local and international NGOs that are responding to the humanitarian needs arising from such disasters. This program, which has an established network of organizations, ensures that funds are quickly and efficiently distributed to those most in need, often in as little as two days.