Hundreds of people are stranded across the river in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Manoor valley after a flash flood destroyed at least 10 bridges and dozens of structures on Friday.
“We need supplies, we need medicine, and please fix the bridge; we have nothing now,” reads a message that people throw to our crew when we visit their town.
The Manoor valley is situated in the highlands of Kaghan, Pakistan’s most popular tourist attraction. The valley has been struck by a catastrophic flood that has claimed the lives of at least fifteen people, including women and children.
The single concrete bridge connecting the picturesque valley to the major city was destroyed by flash floods. Since then, all settlements on the opposite side of the river have been isolated, and inhabitants are awaiting assistance.
Two bridges in Manoor have collapsed entirely, and a temporary wooden crossing has been constructed. Here, a woman is seated with her possessions. She reports that she can see her house but cannot reach it.
“My home and my children are on the other side of the river. I’ve been waiting here for two days in the hopes that the government will repair the bridge. However, the authorities have instructed us to walk around the other side of the mountain to reach our homes, which will take eight to ten hours. I am an elderly woman; how can I walk this far?”
She waits a few minutes longer before leaving as it begins to rain again and the water flowing beneath the temporary wooden bridge begins to rise.
On the other side of the river, we observe men, women, and children seated outside their mud huts. They believe we are government officials and wave at us.
Then, a few of them throw us a piece of paper, placed it in a plastic bag filled with stones, and tossed it to the riverbank where we are recording. Currently, this is the only means of communication with the other half of the village. There are no mobile networks available here.
The handwritten letter contains details about the residents’ losses and appeals for supplies and medicine for the locals who remain stranded.
The letter states, “Many people are unwell and unable to leave the village on foot; the bridge is the only way to reach the city.”
“We need supplies and a road,” says 60-year-old Abdul Rasheed as he describes his predicament. The water has destroyed his only way of providing for his family, a wagon.
“Many other individuals have lost their property and means of support,” he continues. There was a little market here that was swept away, and the shops had all of the necessary food and supplies.
“My home is on the other side, and I must now walk eight hours to get there. How can I accomplish this at my age? ” he asks.
Many businesses and hotels have been devastated, and Soheil and his brother have lost their mobile phone repair store due to the devastation caused by the flood.
He tells that he has three families to support and that he is uncertain about his future. No one has arrived to assist us as we deserve. Every shopkeeper in the area is anxious. “They are all impoverished individuals with large families,” he states.
“These officials and politicians visit for photo opportunities and enjoyment. They visit, take photographs, and depart. Nobody is assisting us.”
The district’s deputy commissioner tells that a rapid, comprehensive rescue and relief effort was launched in the region and that all hotels have been evacuated. He adds that an assessment of property damage has already been conducted.
“We have completed the assessment, and flood victims will be compensated shortly,” he says. “Reconstruction of the bridge has already begun, but it will take some time.”
While the government blames climate change for the flooding, communities criticize the government and local authorities for permitting hotel construction on the river’s banks.
“These hotels and markets obstructed the natural rivers, and as a result, we are experiencing far greater losses due to the floods, which might have been easily avoided,” said a resident of Kaghan’s major market.
In Kaghan and the nearby valleys, the banks of the River Kunhar are lined with hotels; several of them, along with a police station and a religious school, has been destroyed by flooding.
A family sits in a makeshift tent on the riverbank a few hundred meters from the police station. they claim that eight members of their family perished in the same flood.
In Pakistan, heavy rainfall and flooding are inflicting devastation.
More than one thousand people have been murdered, and at least 700,000 dwellings have been destroyed, according to officials.
With millions of people awaiting food, water, and shelter, rescue teams are battling to access these cut-off settlements in Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Road lines have been destroyed, and the only way to access the majority of settlements is via helicopter, thus Pakistani military has been enlisted to assist aid agencies in reaching flood-affected areas.
Additionally, the Pakistani government is requesting assistance from friendly nations, philanthropists, and international financial institutions.
