Floods washed away thousands of villages; now the devastation threatens economy

Across the fertile plains of Pakistan’s Punjab, families are struggling to rebuild their lives after the worst flooding in decades swept away homes, destroyed crops, and drowned livestock.

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"Thirteen of my 15 acres are gone," said Muhammad Amjad, 45, a rice and potato farmer in Chiniot, as he stood by submerged fields. "Our rice is completely destroyed. Women and children have evacuated. Men are left guarding what remains."

The provincial disaster management authority said more than two million people have been affected, with more than 2,000 villages inundated. Approximately 760,000 people and 516,000 animals have been evacuated, and at least 33 people have died in less than a week. Amish Sultan, 50, lost his only source of income.

"I have 10 buffaloes. They're so weak there’s no milk left for my children, let alone to sell. I used to earn 100,000 to 150,000 rupees a month. That stability is gone."

Farm labourer Mehdi Hassan, 40, said entire neighbourhoods were washed away.