Floods Trigger Fears of Food Shortage in Pakistan
(MENAFN) Relentless downpours and rising floodwaters have engulfed vast areas of agricultural land across Pakistan, ruining crops that were close to being harvested.
Both the United Nations and local farmers issued warnings on Monday about the potential for a looming food shortage and rising prices.
Last week, the powerful floods slammed into Punjab in the northeast—the nation’s largest province and primary agricultural hub—engulfing hundreds of villages, medical facilities, and schools.
The floods also swept away livestock, demolished cultivated fields, and led to the deaths of nearly 50 individuals.
Authorities have been forced to conduct mass evacuations in response.
According to government data, the deluge has already impacted more than 2 million people and forced the evacuation of over 700,000 residents.
The floodwaters are continuing to move southward, expected to merge with the Indus River, raising concerns about impending destruction in the southern Sindh province.
"This isn’t normal—yet it’s becoming the new normal. Monsoons, driven by climate change, now bring fear and devastation to communities across Pakistan," stated Mo Yahya, the UN's resident and humanitarian coordinator, via a post on X, a U.S.-based social media platform, after touring regions affected by the disaster.
"Flooded rice fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Farmers now face months without crops or income until the next planting season," he continued, sharing footage of waterlogged farmland in the Hafizabad area.
"This is only the beginning — more intense rains are expected in the coming weeks. As the water flows further south, it will threaten more families with displacement and destruction," Yahya warned.
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