UN chief expresses deep sorrow over Pakistan floods, announces humanitarian support
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed profound sadness over devastating floods in northern Pakistan, which have claimed more than 800 lives and displaced millions, the Associated Press of Pakistan reports.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the secretary general commended Pakistani authorities for relocating more than one million people in Punjab to safer areas, and extended his condolences to the families of victims.
The United Nations and its partners are working closely with the government in Pakistan to rapidly assess the humanitarian impact, identify needs, and bridge gaps in the response, the statement added.
To bolster relief efforts, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has released $600,000 from the Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund, with further discussions under way with the government to formulate a comprehensive response plan, the APP report said.
Guterres “reaffirmed the UN’s solidarity with the government as well as the people of Pakistan, underscoring the urgent need to support those affected and to strengthen resilience against climate-induced disasters,” it added.
Authorities said that to save Multan from being flooded, they are considering breaching the Chenab riverbank. That will allow water to be released into the city's outskirts so the river's levels can come down.
Multan Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid Sindhu has said that the flood relay level in the Chenab River is continuously rising, due to which water has reached the Akbar Flood Dam and Sher Shah headworks and many villages have been submerged, said a statement from his office.
The DC’s office added that he inspected the Chenab River Bridge and Sher Shah embankment yesterday during a visit, where he also received a briefing.
“The situation is likely to worsen due to the joining of the Ravi River to the Chenab,” DC Sindhu was quoted as saying. “It was crossing level 414 at Greywala Chowk until late at night, which shows a rising trend.”
The DC was quoted as saying that the committee is “on board” if the embankment at Head Muhammad Wala needs to be breached.
“Saving human lives in populated areas from floods is the most important thing,” the DC said.
The statement added that a record 400,000 people were relocated to safer areas in the district.
Panjnad Headworks in Muzaffargarh district on the Chenab river, where waters from Sutlej merge, has recorded a “high” flood level, according to the Flood Forecasting Division’s data last updated at 9am.
It recorded “steady” outflows of over 300,000 cusecs, while Chiniot on Chenab and Balloki and Sidhnai on Ravi witnessed “very high” flood levels.
Ganda Singh Wala on Sutlej was still facing an “exceptionally high” flood, with over 300,000 cusecs of waterflows.
More than 15,000 cops aiding in life-saving flood relief operations: Punjab Police
The Punjab Police have said that more than 15,000 officers and personnel, over 700 vehicles and 40 boats were assisting in operations to save stranded people and their cattle.
According to the police, 355,751 people have been rescued so far in various flood-hit districts, including Lahore, while more than 475,000 cattle were relocated to safe places.
Heavy rain in the Himalayas continued to lash Pakistan on Thursday with flooding of homes and highways worsening as major rivers overflowed.
The met office has warned that rain is expected to continue until September 9.
A fierce monsoon season has brought immense destruction in the region this year, killing 880 in Pakistan over the season. Torrential rain has swollen many rivers, spurring authorities in India to release water from dams and further flooding areas on both sides of the border.
The countries share rivers, which flow from India into Pakistan. New Delhi has issued seven warnings to Islamabad about opening dam gates, three in the last 24 hours, officials in Pakistan said.
Irfan Ali Kathia, director-general of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters on Thursday that three rivers in Pakistan have been affected by the release of more water from Indian dams.
India opened spillways at the Baglihar and Salal dams on Chenab, citing heavy rainfall in upstream catchments.
Through diplomatic channels, New Delhi also warned Islamabad of releases from the Harike and Ferozepur headworks on Sutlej. Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources issued a flood alert in response.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Punjab has released details regarding water levels at Indian dams. It has warned that water levels at these reservoirs are on a continuous rise.
According to PDMA Director General, the situation is being monitored round-the-clock.
At Pong Dam in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, the water level at the Beas River has reached 1,394.51 feet. Inflow at the dam is recorded at 132,595 cusecs, while outflow stands at 100,000 cusecs.
At Bhakra Dam built at the Sutlej River also in Himachal Pradesh, the water level has risen to 1,679 feet, approaching maximum capacity. Inflow is 95,400 cusecs, while outflow is 73,459 cusecs.
At Harike Headworks—at the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers—inflow has reached 347,500 cusecs, with outflow recorded at 330,677 cusecs. The PDMA stated that both inflow and outflow are rising steadily.
In Punjab, 1.8 million people have been evacuated in recent weeks after floodwaters submerged nearly 3,900 villages.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in its latest bulletin that one fatality was reported in Swabi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while four people were injured in Lahore and Sheikhupura over the past 24 hours.
Since June 26, Punjab has recorded 223 deaths and 653 injuries, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remains the worst-hit province with 489 fatalities and 359 injuries. Sindh has reported 58 deaths, Gilgit-Baltistan 41, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 38, Balochistan 26 and Islamabad nine.
The floods have damaged more than 9,200 houses nationwide, including 4,700 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and over 2,100 in Azad Kashmir. Nearly 6,200 livestock have been lost. At least 239 bridges and 671 kilometers of roads have also been washed away or severely damaged.
In the past 24 hours alone, 31 more houses were damaged across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
Rescue operations remain intensive. In the last 24 hours, 989 operations in Punjab alone rescued nearly one million people, while 61 operations in Sindh evacuated 28,940. Nationwide, more than 2.1 million people have been rescued since the floods began.
Relief supplies — including tents, ration packs, mattresses, mosquito nets, tarpaulins and life jackets — are being distributed by federal and provincial agencies with support from humanitarian partners.
At Ganda Singh Wala in Kasur, a flood wave of more than 319,000 cusecs submerged over 100 villages and nearly 18,000 acres of farmland. In Lodhran and Vehari, breaches in protective embankments left entire settlements under water.
The Ravi and Chenab also wreaked havoc. Floodwaters entered homes in Kabirwala after makeshift levees collapsed, while in Multan the Ravi reached the railway bridge. In Shujaabad, dozens of villages were submerged, and breaches in canals near Sidhnai and Rango left thousands displaced.
Gujrat city also endured a separate disaster after 577 millimeters of rainfall in 24 hours triggered severe urban flooding, submerging streets, government offices and shops under up to four feet of water. Mosques broadcast repeated announcements urging residents to move to safer ground.
Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said more than 3.8 million people have been affected across Punjab, with 1.8 million already evacuated. At least 46 deaths in Punjab have been linked to the flooding.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said about 4,000 villages are submerged, 1.5 million residents rescued, and more than one million livestock relocated.
Agriculture has been devastated. More than 1.3 million acres of crops are destroyed, with Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Gujrat divisions hardest hit. Officials warned the damage could have lasting consequences for Punjab's farming economy.
Flood Forecasting Division officials confirmed extremely high water levels at Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej, Khanewal and Qadirabad on the Chenab, and Sidhnai on the Ravi. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said the next 24 hours are critical for Multan, where the convergence of the Ravi and Chenab threatens nearby districts.
The NDMA has said the spillways of Rawal Dam will be opened at 11am as the reservoir level reached 1,752 feet at 7am.
“Residents of low-lying areas should take necessary precautions. Follow the instructions of the local administration,” the NDMA said. Exceptionally high flood persists at Ravi’s Sidhnai, Sutlej’s Ganda Singh Wala: FFD
The Flood Forecasting Division has reported in its 10pm update that an exceptionally high flood persists at Ravi’s Sidhnai and Sutlej’s Ganda Singh Wala.
Data from the division showed a very high flood on the Ravi’s Balloki point and at Chenab’s Chiniot.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed the upcoming by-elections in five National Assembly seats and four provincial assembly seats in Punjab amid the flooding crisis in the province.
The by-elections were supposed to be held in the following constituencies: NA-66 (Wazirabad), NA-96 (Faisalabad-II), NA-104 (Faisalabad-X), NA-129 (Lahore-XIII), NA-143 (Sahiwal-III), PP-73 (Sargodha-III), PP-87 (Mianwali-III), PP-98 (Faisalabad-I) and PP-203 (Sahiwal-VI).
The ECP said that the communication system in the province was badly disrupted due to the “unprecedented floods”, along with a lot of other damage to connectivity and public infrastructure.
It noted that rescue and relief operations were also underway with various civil administration and law enforcement agencies engaged in evacuations and aid delivery, adding that officials had also informed it of the non-availability of polling staff.
The ECP said the provincial government had requested it to postpone the polls.
“The commission by taking into consideration the issues highlighted herein above has come to the conclusion that due to non-availability of polling staff, requisite number of law-enforcing personnel, damage of infrastructure, disenfranchisement of voters due to displacement, election cannot be ensured with the optimum level of security as mandated under Article 218(3) of the Constitution.”
It said it was postpoing the by-elections in the above nine constituencies and it would resume the process once the situation normalised.
Two teenagers have drowned in separate incidents in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district amid flooding, according to Rescue 1122.
In the first incident in Chak Abdullah, 18-year-old Awais fell into floodwater while heading to a field and drowned, a Rescue 1122 report read.
In the second incident, in Thata Khan Muhammad, 17-year-old Taimur was walking to another village when he fell into deep water and drowned.Rescue 1122 said that both bodies were handed over to their heirs.