The flooding in Pakistan is one of the largest humanitarian disasters in recent memory. The crisis is affecting about 15 million people, almost a tenth of the population of the world’s sixth most populous country. Water has inundated about one fifth of the country.
But sheer numbers do not convey the extent of the misery, as individuals have had their homes, farms, and businesses wiped out. Towns and villages have been devastated. Roads, schools, health facilities, clinics, and other critical infrastructure have been destroyed.
The floods have ruined more than 1.6 million acres (647,500 hectares) of monsoon season (kharif) crops, such as rice and maize. Pakistan’s major staple food, wheat, is a winter (rabi) crop, typically sown in October through early December, and so far is unaffected by the floods. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warns that Pakistan could face food shortages if its farmers miss the sowing season because of stagnant water in their fields.
Lack of infrastructure contributed to the scale of the disaster. The affected areas do not have sufficient drainage systems, emergency services delivery, and other infrastructure to cope with massive flooding.
Even before the current crisis, Pakistan suffered from high levels of poverty. In rural areas, nearly half of the population lives in poverty.
There is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance. As of August 20, the international community has pledged slightly more than half of the estimated funds needed. Beyond emergency relief, Pakistan will need long-term support in overcoming these challenges. Priorities for Pakistan and the international community should include:
- increasing the productivity of small-holder farmers, for grains, livestock and high-value crops (such as fruit and vegetables)
- enhancing links of farmers to markets and strengthening value chains
- promoting rural and small town enterprises, thereby adding to rural non-farm incomes
- advancing the status of women, including educational opportunities for girls
- improving infrastructure and institutions for the rapid response for emergencies like floods, droughts, and earthquakes
IFPRI is committed to promoting food security in Pakistan through capacity building and partnership.
Resources
For an overview of the crisis, please visit Alertnet's "Pakistan Floods 2010" page.
For a list of non-governmental organizations providing assistance and that accept individual donations, please visit Interaction's page on the crisis.
For more on IFPRI's work in Pakistan, please go to our Pakistan country page or sign up for the country RSS feed at http://www.ifpri.org/rss/country/pakistan.
For IFPRI work on responding to risks and emergencies visit the program page or view related publications.
