Floods, a natural disaster, appear to recur annually in Pakistan. According to the ranking posted by World Population Review, about 71.8 million people are at high flood risk, which is about 31.1% of the population.
However, these are simply statistics; they do not convey the depth of devastation felt by the people whose homes were wrecked. In addition to this, the floods submerged 84,000 villages. Hundreds of animals died, adding to the heartbreak that the farmers felt when they came back to see their growing crops engulfed in floodwater. Months of their effort suddenly seemed meaningless. According to Wikipedia, over 2.2 million hectares of agricultural land were submerged in water. “We had 400 acres of cotton, but only 90 are left,” said farmer Rab Nawaz.
However, the drought isn’t even the worst of it — more than 1000 people have died, according to Dawn News. The health issues that arose post-flood have sparked a growing public concern throughout the nation. Cases of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid have increased rapidly recently. According to the WHO, there are approximately 21,000 cases of cholera that rose between January 2025 and July 2025 alone. Cholera is a bacterial disease that spreads through contaminated water. Individuals living in areas with unclean water and inadequate hygiene are particularly vulnerable to cholera. The disease spreads quickly where sewage and drinking water aren’t properly treated. Floods often create an ideal environment for the spread of Vibrio cholerae. Every year, an estimated 1.3 to 4 million people get cholera, and between 21,000 to 143,000 people die.
Similarly, typhoid spreads because of contaminated water sources and damaged infrastructure. Due to the standing water, typhoid had the perfect conditions that it required to spread. NIH is conducting an investigation and publishing a weekly report, but the precise number of typhoid cases is still unknown.
Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue are both spreading rapidly as well, due to the stagnant water left by floods being the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes to reproduce. Overcrowding and a lack of vector control further increase the speed. According to the Friday Times, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1722 dengue cases have been reported in just the time span of June-September. In contrast, Punjab reported 721 dengue cases by mid-September. This has been confirmed by the Pakistan State Time. However, this isn’t the end of it; due to constant contact with contaminated water and lack of hygiene, there have been many cases reported of eye and skin infections, especially the infamous “pink eye”.
Even now, as floodwaters recede, the health crisis is not over. There is a persistent risk of outbreaks due to contaminated water, damaged sanitation and crowded camps; waterborne disease outbreaks are very likely. To support this, Pakistan State Time has revealed that cases of malaria are continuing to rise. Limited access to healthcare is another area of concern. Due to destroyed facilities, inaccessible areas and overwhelmed clinics, there is a delay in receiving proper treatment, which causes vulnerable populations such as children or pregnant women to suffer more.
The 2025 floods not only affected physical health but also mental health. Over 2 million people were displaced in various parts of the country. The trauma of displacement and loss of homes and sources of livelihood, such as animals dying, was something that got overlooked. Having to leave your home carrying only the things you can fit into a bag, and having to leave most of your memories behind, not knowing what you would be coming back to, is something that has a lasting effect on your mental health. Coming back to mere bricks and the complete wreckage of the house you’ve worked your whole life to build is something no one should ever go through. Seeing all your hard work flow away in the same water that caused the destruction will indeed traumatise you. Users on Reddit have claimed that they are now traumatised by the sound of rain because it causes them to remember events that took place during the floods.
In conclusion, Pakistan’s floods in 2025 are a sobering reminder that the nation’s susceptibility to climate-related calamities is a persistent humanitarian and public health crisis that extends far beyond short-term devastation. There is an immediate need for long-term resilience planning. Improving the healthcare infrastructure and sanitation systems and investing in disaster preparedness are no longer optional; they are essential for survival. Unless immediate and sustained measures are taken, Pakistan will continue to relive this cycle of devastation year after year.