"Iman Salim is used to seeing flood waters in the field of lush lilypads next to her home in the village of Kamanwala. But nothing prepared her for this week, when torrential monsoon rains that broke a 49-year record lashed the area, flooding her house with water that rose above her chest. The whole house has drowned. The water left nothing, the 24-year-old said."
"In just a few hours, Salim's family's entire possessions were destroyed. In the face of soaring inflation and the depreciation of the rupee, replacing entire life possessions and repairing homes will be impossible for many. This is the first time in my life that this much flood water has come, said Salim's father, Sayed Muhamad, a 60-year-old labourer. There's been no electricity, no water, no gas for three days."
"The damage that's been caused is around 500,000 Pakistani rupees [1,300]. Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the climate crisis, despite producing less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions."
Record-breaking monsoon rains and releases from over-full dams have flooded more than 1,400 villages in eastern Punjab. Rivers including the Sutlej, Chenab, Ravi and the Phalku overflowed, submerging homes and destroying possessions within hours. Families report water rising above chests, complete loss of household goods, and outages of electricity, water and gas. Some households estimate damages around 500,000 Pakistani rupees. Provincial authorities declared hospital emergencies amid fears of cholera, hepatitis and increased snakebite poisoning. Soaring inflation and rupee depreciation will make replacement and repairs impossible for many. Pakistan remains highly vulnerable to the climate crisis despite minimal emissions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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