After the shocking floods that devastated Pakistan in 2022, the country is currently rebuilding flood-hit areas and mobilizing a resilient recovery programme. The aim is to help people recover from the natural disaster and revive the economy, which has suffered damages as high as $40 billion. Many countries across the world have also pledged financial aid, to support relief efforts and meet the immediate needs of people affected by the floods.
This has prompted many to wonder, does Pakistan receive aid from UK? We will answer this question in this article.
How bad were the floods in Pakistan in 2022?
Unfortunately, the 2022 floods in Pakistan have created a humanitarian crisis in the country.
The floods started in June 2022, when excessive rainfall swamped the nation during its annual monsoon season. So unprecedented was this monsoon rainfall from June to August, that it was up to 190% more rain than the country’s 30-year average. Around 44,000 square miles of the land flooded, and rivers, canals and lakes began to overflow, so Pakistan soon became the epicentre of one of South Asia’s worst floods.
Sadly, the floods killed over 1,700 people, including over 600 children, while injuring and displacing thousands more. The ravaging floodwaters have submerged one third of the country under water, washing away homes, buildings, farmland, roads, bridges and villages.
Over 1.2 million livestock have died, which has disrupted the supply of milk and meat products. Meanwhile, 4 million acres of crops have been destroyed, depriving people of their food sources, assets and livelihoods. In total, the industries of agriculture, food, livestock and fisheries have suffered damage of more than $3.7 billion.
The floods have also worsened health inequalities in Pakistan. Hospitals have been damaged or forced to shut, leaving people without medical care. Being surrounded by dirty floodwater, this has caused a surge in people developing deadly diseases including cholera and typhoid. With so many water supply lines and sanitation facilities damaged or polluted, there is little to no safe drinking water available.
Additionally, thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding women in flood-affected areas are unable to access the maternity services and medical care that they desperately need, which is a huge danger for them and their children.
Finally, the floods have long-term implications for people’s mental health. The Sindh mental Health Authority has witnessed a surge in patients seeking psychiatric treatment, fuelled by financial stress and a lost sense of security after the floods.
Why does Pakistan need foreign aid?
Even before the floods struck in 2022, Pakistan has been a recipient of foreign aid from several countries and international organisations, ever since its inception in 1947. The country has accepted foreign aid for projects in various sectors, including agriculture, education, infrastructure, water, fisheries, industry and trade, sanitation and waste management, energy and governance.
The South Asian country is working hard to reduce poverty, improve health outcomes, boost the economy and create better conditions for its citizens. Yet, around 1 in 4 Pakistanis are currently too poor to meet basic needs.
Food insecurity and chronic hunger and thirst are rife across vulnerable communities. This is particularly tough for pregnant and breastfeeding women, who risk passing on infections and illnesses to their children if they themselves are under-nourished.
Maternal mortality and infant mortality are high in Pakistan. With limited access to regular, nutritious meals, many children die before they reach their fifth birthday. Malnourished children often develop health issues and physical disabilities as a result of stunted growth.
Pakistan also has a water crisis. Over 80% of the population faces severe water scarcity, while 79 million people do not have access to a clean toilet. This forces millions of people to drink contaminated water and defecate openly, instead- which increases the likelihood of developing infections and severe illnesses.
Additionally, there is currently a huge energy crisis in Pakistan, as the cash-strapped country can no longer afford to buy coal or natural gas from overseas to fuel its power plants. This is causing hours-long electricity shortages, with rural areas experiencing power cuts for over 8 hours a day- which is crippling for households and for the economy.
Moreover, Pakistan has accepted foreign aid for projects in various sectors, including education, infrastructure, water, fisheries, industry and trade, management and governance. It is the second-highest country in the world to have the most out-of-school children, with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 not attending school. So, foreign aid has helped improve school attendance, literacy rates and education outcomes among the population.
A harsh, but difficult truth is that Pakistan is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. It experiences frequent floods, earthquakes, landslides, cyclones, heat waves and droughts. This unfortunately means that the citizens are more likely to be exposed to hazards, infectious diseases, economic losses and potentially losing their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods.
Finally, Pakistan has the second-highest number of refugees in the world, and continues to experience extremism and militancy.
Hence, all of these reasons illustrate why Pakistan has received foreign aid over the years.
Does Pakistan receive aid from UK?
So, does Pakistan receive aid from UK?
The answer is: yes, the UK has pledged millions in foreign aid to Pakistan.
Between 2014 and 2019, Pakistan was the largest recipient of direct, government-to-government aid from the UK.
This foreign aid was spent on:
- human development
- health
- education
- economic development
- governance and security
- climate issues and the environment
- humanitarian causes
Following the 2022 floods in Pakistan, the UK has pledged to donate £26.5 million in humanitarian aid, to meet life-saving needs including:
- providing shelter, water and sanitation
- supporting people who are still displaced
- helping those who are returning home
- re-establishing communal water supplies
Furthermore, the UK also sent 8 boats and 10 portable generators to Pakistan, to use in flood relief operations.
In November 2021, the UK pledged over £55 million pounds to partner with Pakistan to fight climate change and manage water more sustainably.
When Pakistan was devasted by catastrophic floods in 2010, the UK Government committed £134 million, to supply emergency aid such as:
- food packages
- clean water
- shelter
- healthcare
- sanitation
- wheat and vegetable seeds
- animal stock feed
- veterinary services for animals
How is Zohra Foundation helping people affected by the floods in Pakistan?
As you can see, Pakistan urgently requires humanitarian aid. It is a low-income, developing nation which is striving to lift people out of poverty and difficult financial circumstances.
But, Pakistan can’t do this alone. The vulnerable people in Pakistan desperately need financial assistance, to repair their lives, following the devastating floods of 2022.
The floods have left thousands of people in a state of misery, despair and hopelessness. With no shelter, food, clean water, adequate sanitation or medical care, these people have little chance of surviving this crisis.
That is why we at Zohra Foundation are encouraging supporters to donate to our Pakistan Flood Appeal, to help fund life-saving aid for people affected by this catastrophe.
Our team is currently on the ground in Pakistan, distributing aid such as cooked meals, clean water, kitchen utensils, medicines, tents and hygiene kits, to help people recover from this devastating natural disaster. We have also started rebuilding homes, to offer shelter, safety and comfort to people who have been displaced during this tragedy.
Click here to donate to Zohra Foundation’s Pakistan Flood appeal today.
We are grateful for every donation we receive. Your donations are funding the essential supplies that so many vulnerable people urgently need at this moment, after a natural disaster wrecked their lives.
Read more content about the 2022 floods in our Pakistan and our humanitarian work
At Zohra Foundation, we regularly update our website and our blog with information about the 2022 floods in Pakistan and our relief projects throughout Asia and Africa.
To learn more, read the following articles and web pages:
- How much of Pakistan is under water?
- What caused Pakistan floods?
- Which parts of Pakistan are flooded?
- How can I donate online in Pakistan?
- How to sponsor an orphan in Pakistan
- Is Pakistan running out of water?
- Pakistan Appeals
- Pakistan Donations
- Pakistan Poverty
Donate to Zohra Foundation
Zohra Foundation is a London-based, UK-registered charity organization that aims to improve the lives of millions of orphans, widows and the elderly throughout Pakistan and respond to emergencies in other parts of the world.
Our team is currently delivering emergency relief across Pakistan, following the devastating 2022 floods.
All projects at Zohra Foundation are Zakat eligible. You can choose to make a one-off donation or donate on a monthly basis.
Donate to Zohra Foundation’s Pakistan Flood appeal here.
Support our Pakistan relief projects on medical aid, dementia camps and eye camps here.
Click here to support our ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ scheme or orphan sponsorship scheme.
Follow Zohra Foundation on Twitter here.
To read articles on our blog, click here.
We hope we have answered the question ‘how much of Pakistan is under water?’
Honouring the forgotten elderly with dignity.
Providing urgent medical care, food and shelter to the elderly in Pakistan.
