Fauzia’s Struggle with Monsoon Flooding in Pakistan

Fauzia’s Struggle Amidst the Monsoon Rains

One recent evening, as the heavy monsoon rains relentlessly pounded down, Fauzia and her extended family of 15 sought refuge under a makeshift tent, its top patched with large plastic sheets to shield them from the downpour. Two years prior, their home had been severely damaged during one of the worst flooding events in Pakistan’s history, a disaster that claimed over 1,700 lives and affected a staggering 30 million people. With borrowed funds and the sale of livestock, her family managed to rebuild three rooms, only to face nature’s wrath once more as torrential rains returned this year, forcing them back into a tent during the relentless downpours.

Haunted by the memories of the catastrophic floods of 2022, Fauzia expressed the deep-seated fears that now plague her family. “Our children are terrified of the rain now,” she lamented, embodying the collective anxiety of many women in rural Pakistan who often go by a single name. “Whenever it rains or the wind picks up, they cling to us and cry, ‘We will drown.’” This sentiment resonates with millions across the country who had only just begun to recover from the devastating floods of the previous year and are now faced with the grim prospect of losing everything they had painstakingly rebuilt.

The fear of further devastation has ignited outrage among many Pakistanis, who voice their frustration over the government’s perceived lack of preparedness for the latest deluges. Since July 1, the National Disaster Management Authority has reported at least 285 fatalities attributed to the floods. While government officials claim to have taken measures—such as implementing early warning systems and reinforcing embankments along major rivers—critics argue that Pakistan’s ongoing political, economic, and security instability has relegated flood recovery and climate-change mitigation efforts to the bottom of the government’s priority list.