Massive flooding in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province has forced more than half a million people to abandon their homes in just the past 24 hours, officials confirmed Thursday. The new evacuations bring the number of displaced residents to nearly 1.8 million since last month, as swollen rivers continue to submerge villages and farmlands.
Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said the Muzaffargarh district, along with Multan, has been hit hardest, with more than 3,900 villages inundated since the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers burst their banks two weeks ago. The devastation has echoed scenes of past disasters, with entire communities uprooted and survivors left to rely on tents, charity, and government handouts.
Residents described the chaos of being forced out with little time to spare. Ghulam Abbas, 54, recalled mosque loudspeakers warning of an imminent flood surge, pushing families to flee immediately. “Those who thought the waters wouldn’t reach them are now being rescued by boat,” he said, adding that his house was swallowed by floodwaters overnight. For others, the crisis reopens old wounds. Zainab Akhtar, who lost her home in the deadly 2010 floods, now sits with her family in a government tent after losing everything again.
While Pakistan has not yet appealed for international aid, foreign support is beginning to trickle in. The British government announced an additional 1.6 million pounds ($2.2 million) to help Sindh province prepare for potential flooding, raising its humanitarian assistance this season to $3.4 million. British High Commissioner Jane Marriott described the province as being in “a critical window” to mitigate disaster.
Relief operations are in full swing across Punjab, with authorities erecting camps in Muzaffargarh, Narowal, and Kasur. Irfan Ali Kathia, head of the provincial Disaster Management Authority, said thousands of rescuers are mobilized alongside the military, ferrying both people and animals to safety. To protect Muzaffargarh city, emergency breaches were made overnight along the Chenab river embankment. Despite these efforts, at least 46 people have died in the floods so far.
Charities and local organizations have also stepped in. The Markazi Muslim League deployed 10,000 volunteers to provide rescue services, food, and medical supplies. The group said it has served meals to over 800,000 people and provided healthcare to 700,000 since the crisis began.
Heavy monsoon rains, combined with water releases from Indian dams, have made the flooding worse. India has issued multiple alerts to Islamabad about possible cross-border flood surges, including one Thursday, the third warning this week. Pakistan’s disaster authority said further discharges could intensify flooding in the Sutlej river and potentially affect Sindh province in the coming days.
With more rain forecast over the next 24 to 48 hours and water levels expected to rise in the Indus river, officials fear the situation could deteriorate further. In total, 3.8 million people across Punjab have been affected, either displaced or suffering property losses. The floods are now being called the country’s most destructive since 2022, when nearly 1,700 people were killed.