Islamabad (TDI): United Kingdom’s High Commissioner in Pakistan, Jane Marriott, expressed sorrow over the lives lost in flash floods as a result of heavy monsoon rains, last week across the country.
The floods claimed 46 lives including the tragedy in Swat that took the lives of 13 members of a tourist family. The devastating monsoon spell is not over yet and as more rainfall is expected, local administrations and disaster management are on high alert.
HC Marriott shared her thoughts on the social media platform X, and said that she was “heartbroken” at the lives lost, adding that this tragedy is only a reminder of how vulnerable Pakistan is to climate change calamities and disasters.
I am heartbroken by the loss of life from flash floods this week. Losing loved ones to tragic disasters is devastating, and my thoughts are with the bereaved. It is a stark reminder that Pakistan continues to be on the front lines of climate change.
— Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottUK) July 1, 2025
The last time Pakistan experienced flash floods was in 2022. Areas of Balochistan, Kyber Pakhtunkhwa, and South Punjab were worst hit, including some regions in Sindh too.
The widescale displacement caused by those floods led to quick alternative housing initiatives undertake by the governments in Punjab and Sindh.
This year, as the risk assessment suggests, a calamity of an equal scale is expected. So far this week, all four provinces experienced unfortunate incidents where collapse of houses or an inability to evacuate claimed innocent lives.
Read More: Pakistan Urges UN to Address Root Causes of Terrorism
The highest, twenty two deaths were recorded in KP. Following the tragedy in Swat, tourists are now being directed to change their plans or at least stay very vigilant about local forecasts.
“We are expecting above-normal rains during the monsoon season, and alerts have been issued to the concerned authorities to take precautionary measures,” Irfan Virk, a deputy director of Pakistan’s Meteorological Department told The Associated Press news agency (as quoted by Al Jazeera).
In 2022, floods claimed 1737 lives, causing massive infrastructural damage, displacing hundreds and thousands of people.
The Diplomatic Insight is a digital and print magazine focusing on diplomacy, defense, and development publishing since 2009.
