A huge flood hit the province of Karachi in Pakistan a few days ago, causing irreversible harm to people and their families. Cars and motorcycles were carried away in the flood, traders rushed around trying to save their stock, and parents struggled to keep their children from drowning and falling into open sewers.
“It took us nearly two days to clean the water and get the house back to normal. There was no help from the government,” said Murtaza Hussain, a worker from a textile factory. “Every year, the government says there will be no flooding, but the problem is getting worse.”
Pakistan has an annual struggle with the monsoon season, where there are unstoppable rainstorms that fill the nation with water. The season lasts from June through August, and many citizens have become upset that something hasn’t been done to fix the problem. It has resulted in many residents of Pakistan criticizing the government on poor financial choices and preparation.
However, the 2022 monsoon season has been outstandingly harsh for the citizens. Global warming and climate change have been particularly brutal for the civilians of Pakistan this year. Their major cities are continuing to struggle with fending off the rainstorms.
The monsoon rainstorm season has killed over 282 individuals over the past five weeks, the majority of them being women and children. The floods have demolished approximately 5600 homes so far according to Pakistani authorities. They have also rendered bridges and highways useless, destroying architecture vital to daily operation in Pakistan.
Pakistan is ranked number 5 in the list of countries most affected by climate change. They have lost 9,989 lives due to extreme climate and weather, and they have suffered losses worth approximately 3.8 billion USD.
Excluding Pakistan, the other countries most affected by climate change are Puerto Rico, placed first, Myanmar, placed second, Haiti placed third, and the Philippines who are placed fourth.
“This is a national disaster,” said Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s minister for climate change.
While the poorly equipped government is struggling with clearing up clogged sewers and innovating tactics on clearing the water from the cities, the citizens are struggling from the continuous floods.
“It was not rain that killed my wife and child,” Danish, a father of two said. His wife and 2-year-old recently died from after falling into an open sewer. “It was the government’s incompetence and people’s helplessness.”
“All of these problems stem from the city being poorly governed and exploited by multiple political parties vying for control of the city’s economic resources, but all failing to deliver basic services to its residents,” said Jumaina Siddiqui, the South Asia senior program officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
“It took us nearly two days to clean the water and get the house back to normal. There was no help from the government,” said Murtaza Hussain, a worker from a textile factory. “Every year, the government says there will be no flooding, but the problem is getting worse.”
Pakistan has an annual struggle with the monsoon season, where there are unstoppable rainstorms that fill the nation with water. The season lasts from June through August, and many citizens have become upset that something hasn’t been done to fix the problem. It has resulted in many residents of Pakistan criticizing the government on poor financial choices and preparation.
However, the 2022 monsoon season has been outstandingly harsh for the citizens. Global warming and climate change have been particularly brutal for the civilians of Pakistan this year. Their major cities are continuing to struggle with fending off the rainstorms.
The monsoon rainstorm season has killed over 282 individuals over the past five weeks, the majority of them being women and children. The floods have demolished approximately 5600 homes so far according to Pakistani authorities. They have also rendered bridges and highways useless, destroying architecture vital to daily operation in Pakistan.
Pakistan is ranked number 5 in the list of countries most affected by climate change. They have lost 9,989 lives due to extreme climate and weather, and they have suffered losses worth approximately 3.8 billion USD.
Excluding Pakistan, the other countries most affected by climate change are Puerto Rico, placed first, Myanmar, placed second, Haiti placed third, and the Philippines who are placed fourth.
“This is a national disaster,” said Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s minister for climate change.
While the poorly equipped government is struggling with clearing up clogged sewers and innovating tactics on clearing the water from the cities, the citizens are struggling from the continuous floods.
“It was not rain that killed my wife and child,” Danish, a father of two said. His wife and 2-year-old recently died from after falling into an open sewer. “It was the government’s incompetence and people’s helplessness.”
“All of these problems stem from the city being poorly governed and exploited by multiple political parties vying for control of the city’s economic resources, but all failing to deliver basic services to its residents,” said Jumaina Siddiqui, the South Asia senior program officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
