KP govt releases Rs800m relief fund for flood-hit areas, Rs500m for Buner
The KP govt releases Rs800m relief fund for flood-hit areas as devastating monsoon rains continue to wreak havoc across the province. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), an additional Rs500 million has been allocated specifically for Buner, the worst-hit district where 217 people have lost their lives and more than 120 others have been injured. In total, at least 325 people have died and 156 injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the nationwide death toll from rain-related incidents since late June has risen to 657.
Buner remains the epicenter of the tragedy, with dozens of houses completely washed away, schools partially destroyed, and livestock lost in flash floods. Shangla recorded 36 deaths, while Mansehra and Bajaur reported 24 and 21 fatalities respectively. Swat has faced some of the heaviest infrastructure damage, with more than 200 homes damaged and over 160 cattle perished. Other districts, including Lower Dir, Battagram, and Nowshera, also reported casualties from flash floods, roof collapses, and thunder strikes.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, alongside Climate Change Minister Musaddiq Malik and NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider, told reporters in Islamabad that the rescue and rehabilitation of flood-affected communities is a national obligation. He confirmed that the Pakistan Army, NDMA, and provincial authorities are actively conducting relief operations, with more than 425 camps set up to provide shelter, food, and medical assistance to displaced families. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also directed federal ministers to remain present in flood-affected regions to personally monitor relief and restoration work.
The NDMA chairman warned that monsoon conditions will likely persist until late August, with two to three more spells of heavy rains expected before the situation begins to normalize in September. He explained that special army units have been deployed for rapid response, helicopters are on standby for evacuations, and field hospitals remain fully operational to handle emergencies.
Meanwhile, Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani expressed solidarity with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir. He revealed that Sindh had already dispatched aid but criticized the KP government for reportedly declining further assistance, calling it unreasonable given the scale of the crisis. Ghani stressed that there is both a practical and moral need for national unity, and pointed out that international organizations like the UN, World Bank, and ADB may also step in to support relief and rehabilitation efforts.
The KP govt releases Rs800m relief fund for flood-hit areas at a time when communities across the province are battling destruction on a massive scale. With hundreds of families displaced, homes destroyed, and lives lost, the relief packages are seen as a crucial step in helping people rebuild their lives, though the looming threat of more monsoon rains continues to raise concerns for vulnerable districts.
