Flash floods in Balochistan

Emergency situation in Balochistan, as rain has caused severe damages

Flash floods unleashed by heavy rainfall have caused havoc in Balochistan’s districts of Lasbela, Kech, Khuzdar, and Jhal Magsi. Residents were left stranded on the roof of their huts after parts of the province were inundated with water, which compelled Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to order evacuation through helicopters. Nearly 50,000 families have been evacuated to safe places and at least 105 people have died across the province.

Both the National Disaster Management Authority and Provincial Disaster Management Authority failed to take prior prevention measures or evacuate vulnerable people earlier. As a result, residents across Balochistan and parts of Sindh and K-P were left at the mercy of the monsoon’s fury. Districts of Balochistan have been disconnected from the rest of the country as roads and highways have been inundated or damaged by the floods. Hotels on the Quetta-Karachi highway are packed with passengers as they wait for the highways to be cleared. Houses, schools, and graveyards remain submerged in water. Many families have lost their belongings and will be required to rebuild their homes.

The alarming situation in Balochistan has revealed the country’s unpreparedness to deal with the emerging climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has already listed Pakistan as one of the countries to be worst affected by climate change and warned of an increase in annual and summer monsoon precipitation. The brunt of this will be borne by those living in undeveloped and low-lying areas, and Balochistan will be hit the hardest.

Both federal and provincial governments must take the recent destruction as a sign to intensify efforts to improve disaster management response and equip the province with climate resilient infrastructure and relevant apparatuses to deal with future climate emergencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2022.

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