Monsoon season floods displace half a million in Pakistan
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Devastating monsoon floods in eastern Pakistan have forced over 500,000 people from their homes, as rescue operations continue in what officials describe as the largest evacuation effort in Punjab's history.
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Motorists ride through a flooded road caused by heavy monsoon rain in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, August 3, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Eastern Pakistan is reeling from the impact of the ongoing monsoon season, with over 500,000 people displaced by catastrophic floods across Punjab province.
Days of relentless rainfall have swollen three transboundary rivers, submerging more than 2,300 villages and impacting over 1.5 million residents, according to provincial relief officials.
“This is the biggest rescue operation in Punjab’s history,” said Irfan Ali Khan, head of the provincial disaster management agency, during a press conference. The operation has mobilized over 800 boats and 1,300 rescue workers to assist families trapped in rural areas near the rivers.
Authorities confirmed that at least 30 people have been killed in the latest wave of flooding. The toll adds to hundreds of deaths reported since the monsoon season began in June, with rainfall this year far exceeding seasonal norms.
Read more: Iran offers aid to Pakistan as monsoon floods kill over 300 lives
Massive rescue effort underway amid rising waters
Nabeel Javed, the chief of Punjab's relief services, stated that 481,000 people and 405,000 livestock have already been evacuated. More than 500 relief camps have been established to shelter displaced families and their animals.
In Shahdara, a low-income town near Lahore, dozens of families sought refuge in a local school. Many arrived without belongings or extra clothing after escaping floodwaters that swept through their homes.
“Look at all the women sitting with me, they’re helpless and distressed,” said Tabassum Suleman, a 40-year-old cleaner. “Their homes are gone, their belongings destroyed. We couldn’t even bring clothes for the children.”
Villagers lose homes and livelihoods
In Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, entire housing developments were half-submerged as rains continued through Saturday. Sikandar Mughal, a retired shopkeeper, described fleeing his home when the floodwaters reached his garage.
“When the situation got worse, I took my bike and ran for my life,” the 61-year-old said. “It’s been two days now. I didn’t even get a chance to pack clothes.”
Read more: Deadly flash floods sweep Pakistan, India's Kashmir after cloudburst
This flood event echoes the catastrophic 2022 monsoon season, during which a third of Pakistan was submerged, with Sindh province suffering the worst damage. In mid-August this year, more than 400 people were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to landslides caused by heavy rains, another stark reminder of the country’s vulnerability to environmental disasters.
Authorities continue to stress that rescue and relief efforts will persist “until no human life is left unattended,” as climate-linked catastrophes become more frequent and intense across Pakistan.
