Pakistan floods: Escalating humanitarian crisis amid climate extremes

Pakistan Red Crescent volunteers help people stranded by heavy flooding.

Photo: Pakistan Red Crescent Society

Kuala Lumpur, Geneva, 3 September 2025 – Thousands of families across Pakistan are facing a deepening humanitarian crisis in the wake of devastating monsoon floods and other climate-induced disasters. Homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure have been swept away, leaving communities without access to food, clean water, healthcare, and shelter. In response to the rapidly escalating needs, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is intensifying its emergency operations in the affected areas.

To bolster these life-saving efforts, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a 17 million Swiss Francs emergency appeal to support the PRCS in expanding its relief operations. This builds on an initial allocation of CHF 1 million from the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF).

“This is an urgent humanitarian emergency. Each passing hour is crucial. We are calling on our partners and the international community to stand with the people of Pakistan,” said PRCS’s chairperson, Mrs. Farzhana Naek. “We are actively responding on the ground, but more support is urgently needed to save lives and prevent further suffering.”

Red Crescent on the Frontlines of the Response

PRCS has mobilized teams of staff and volunteers, delivering clean water, cooked meals, medical care, emergency shelter, and essential supplies to the hardest-hit areas. Emergency Control Rooms have been activated nationwide to coordinate the response and ensure aid reaches those in greatest need.

“Our teams are working around the clock, side by side with affected communities,” said Mrs. Farzhana Naek. “Unfortunately, the affected people are disproportionally the poorest of the poor, therefore we are committed to supporting them through recovery,” she added.

A Call to Rebuild and Prepare for a Climate-Challenged Future

Pakistan remains one of the countries most affected and vulnerable to climate change. In the past few months alone, extreme weather, including cloudburst floods and record-breaking monsoon rainfall, has impacted millions. According to World Weather Attribution scientists, the recent monsoon rains were intensified by up to 15% due to human-induced climate change.

“Pakistan contributes little to global emissions yet bears the brunt of the climate crisis. Our emergency appeal is not just about saving lives today, it’s about helping communities build resilience for the harsher climate realities of tomorrow.”, says Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC Head of Delegation in Pakistan.

With more extreme weather events projected in the years ahead, the IFRC and PRCS are committed to supporting both immediate humanitarian relief and longer-term resilience building, helping communities withstand future climate shocks.