The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has released Rs800 million in relief funds for all districts affected by the ongoing monsoon floods, with an additional Rs500 million earmarked for the worst-hit district of Buner, as the death toll in the province reached 341.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 178 people have been injured in KP due to flash floods, while nationwide figures from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) show 660 deaths and 935 injuries since late June.
Buner remains the hardest-hit district, recording 222 deaths and 120 injuries. Shangla reported 36 fatalities and 21 injuries, with at least 95 houses damaged, including 55 fully destroyed.
Mansehra and Bajaur each reported 21 deaths and five injuries, while Swat recorded 20 deaths and two injuries, along with heavy infrastructure damage affecting 220 homes and 163 cattle. Lower Dir and Battagram also faced casualties, and Nowshera saw two deaths due to a roof collapse.
A cloudburst in Swabi’s Gadoon Amazai area killed at least 11 people, including children and women, and left 33 missing. In Dalori, eight bodies were recovered, with more still missing. Twelve houses were submerged, and landslides added to the destruction. Another cloudburst in Sar Koi Payan buried nine members of a single family, four of whom were killed. Rescue operations have been hampered by the difficult terrain, and locals have requested heavy machinery to aid recovery.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged the federal government’s full support for flood-hit communities, including donating one month’s salary from the federal cabinet to relief efforts. The prime minister directed federal institutions to intensify relief and rehabilitation operations in KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Federal ministers have been instructed to personally monitor restoration of essential infrastructure, including electricity, water, roads, and bridges.
The NDMA has reported 456 relief camps established and 400 rescue operations conducted. Food distribution is ongoing under the Prime Minister’s Ration Programme, with special army units deployed for emergency evacuation and medical support. Field ambulances are actively transporting critically injured individuals, and hospitals remain fully engaged.
Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani expressed solidarity with the victims and confirmed that the Sindh government has offered aid to KP. He emphasized the practical and moral necessity of providing assistance, noting that international organizations such as the UN, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank have also contributed to relief efforts.
The NDMA warned that monsoon conditions would persist until late August, with additional rain spells expected, keeping flood-affected areas under high alert.
The combined efforts of provincial and federal authorities, along with public support and international aid, aim to provide essential relief and restore basic infrastructure to the communities devastated by the ongoing monsoon crisis.
