I met a man this week who had been wandering nearby villages in rural Pakistan for four days, searching for a box containing his entire life savings.
He told me how he had worked for years to build up this money, which would have gone towards his three daughters’ weddings.
In a flash, he lost everything he’d worked and saved his whole life for – all due to the devastating floods that hit the country earlier this week.
The unfolding crisis in Pakistan is an international emergency, and the people on the ground need our urgent support.
As an ambassador for the charity Islamic Relief, when I was asked to help raise awareness of this crisis – understanding the enormity of situation and connection between our two nations via the Pakistani diaspora in the UK – I knew if I could help in anyway, I should.
So I am currently in Pakistan with the charity, providing support to those who have been impacted. But it’s a relentless task.
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This is because one third of Pakistan (roughly equivalent to the size of the UK) has been completely submerged in the flooding.
Over the last few days, I have been visiting villages, such as Nowshera and those along the way to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, providing urgent relief in the form of clean drinking water and dry foods such as lentils, wheat, sugar, and many other necessities.
Each village that I visit has been devastated and every person I meet has a personal tragedy to tell. Each of them is stuck in the unknown, unsure of how they will rebuild their lives and how the country will rebuild itself.
In areas like Charsada, where the water has started to recede, we met with families living in make-shift tents outside their houses. Even as the water has lowered, the dirt and mud is too much for them to return to their homes.
Devastatingly, 1,136 people have already been confirmed dead because of the flooding since the start of June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. On top of this, the UN estimates 33million people have been impacted and more than 1million homes have been destroyed.
Some areas of the country have had more than eight times their normal level of rainfall and this situation is predicted to get worse over the coming days, with further floods, outbreaks of water-borne diseases, and food running out in local markets.
There’s no doubt that Pakistan is suffering from the worst floods in living memory.
During my trip, I have seen first-hand the devastating impact these floods have had on families, communities, infrastructure, farming lands and on the landscape.
People literally have nothing left. Their homes are destroyed, their crops ruined, they have no clothes to cover their children, no food to feed their families and no access to clean drinking water.
We travelled for hours to reach a remote village in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
I met with families that were evacuated from their homes at 2am when they received the warnings. They were able to survive by getting to another nearby village, where 30 people are now cramped in two small rooms.
They told me how 30 houses in their village had completely collapsed as a result of the floods. They are now surviving on the little people have in these outside villages, or what is provided for in aid by charities.
The damage that the flooding has caused these people has come at a time when they are already struggling. Pakistan is currently facing inflation of close to 25%.
The impacts of these floods are only going to exacerbate this situation further, since almost half of the country’s cotton crop has been washed away and vegetable, fruit and rice fields have sustained considerable damage. Almost 800,000 livestock have perished, and 2million acres of crops and orchards have been damaged.
The sad reality is that, for some, this climate catastrophe has become a cycle of life.
I met two women who, after the damage caused by the 2010 floods, had worked hard to rebuild their homes over time, which have now been destroyed again due to the floods. They feel as if they are back to square one and, without any money, they do not know how to start again.
While visiting homes where the water has now receded, we can see the 10-foot-high marks on the walls, showing the levels that the flooding reached. Left behind is an unbearable stench and dirt, with many of the mud homes totally ruined.
I have seen how children are swimming in the water to return to their homes to collect what belongings they have left and have been warned of the impact this will have on spreading diseases because of the contaminated water.
There are concerns that even after the cleaning efforts in these areas, diseases will spread even further because of the lack of proper cleaning materials.
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It is, therefore, crucial that support is given to the country and that we use our resources to help the people of Pakistan. The UN has called for $160million to be provided in a flash appeal to support the victims.
Yesterday, the UK Government pledged £15million in aid, 10% of the total sum proposed by the UN. I welcome the government’s decision to increase its pledge from the initial £1.5million. UK has close ties to Pakistan and a large Pakistani diaspora – with many families living across the two countries.
However, with the level of devastation, I feel that a higher level of support should be provided by all governments.
The floods in Pakistan are a direct result of climate change, which poses a significant threat to the country. Indeed, Pakistan has suffered $18billion of economic losses from climate change in 10 years, according to the World Bank.
The floods were caused by the deteriorating weather conditions after months of heatwaves, with temperatures reaching over 50 degrees Celsius. According to the United Nations, the heatwave this year further exacerbated food insecurity, which threatens peace and stability.
Despite being one of the countries that bears the most significant brunt of the impacts of climate change, Pakistan is only responsible for less than 1% of the world’s carbon footprint, so this is evidence of a nation suffering because of the irresponsible environmental practices of other countries.
The impact of climate change is a result of global inequality and environmental disasters like this will only widen this further. Not only do we need to provide immediate aid to help the people of Pakistan, but we also need to look for an immediate long-term solution for climate change to mitigate its impact.
While I will continue to call on the UK Government to give more and respond to the crisis in Pakistan, I am pleased to see local communities, organisations and charities working together to provide support.
I have seen first-hand the work of Islamic Relief and welcome the appeal launched by the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee. Additionally, the Pakistani diaspora and other UK-based charities have already raised over £1million pounds in funds.
All of this is hugely needed on the ground.
One lady told me, even if the world doesn’t give them anything, the fact that people like myself have come out to listen to their stories and share this with the rest of the world gives her hope.
My short trip in Pakistan is coming to end, but I hope that we can support these people so that they can genuinely rebuild their lives.
The floods in Pakistan are an international humanitarian crisis and I urge the world to respond.
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