ISLAMABAD: A new assessment carried out by humanitarian aid organisation, Islamic Relief, reveals that 60 per cent of families in the badly affected areas of Buner and Swat have lost their livelihood by flash floods and there have also been massive destruction of homes and farms.

The Islamic Relief’s emergency response team is on the ground distributing food and water, and the team’s assessment found that 73 per cent of houses are destroyed or partially damaged; sixty per cent of people in Buner and 53 per cent in Swat are now unable to support their families; eighty per cent of agricultural land in Buner has been damaged; nearly 50 per cent of livestock animals have died and been washed away.

According to the assessment, 40 per cent of households are already reporting cases of diarrhea, with water-borne diseases spreading as the water supply is contaminated by bodies of victims and livestock and the destruction of sanitation facilities.

Acting country director of Islamic Relief Pakistan, Raza Narejo, said that “now the flood waters are receding, but the impact is enormous and it will affect people here for a long time. The poorest communities have seen their jobs and income wiped out in a flash, with 60 per cent of workers in Buner district now unable to sustain themselves following the floods.“

Published in Dawn, August 22th, 2025