Nearly 300,000 people have been evacuated from Pakistan’s Punjab province in the past two days, bringing the total displaced since last month to 1.3 million as floodwaters continue to devastate eastern districts.
Dozens of villages in Muzaffargarh, Narowal, and Sialkot have been submerged, forcing authorities to launch one of Punjab’s largest-ever rescue and relief operations.
Rescuers, supported by the military, are using boats and drones to evacuate families and livestock from inundated areas.
Tent villages are being set up, though many survivors report poor conditions and a lack of timely aid.
Flood alerts issued by India have intensified concerns. Heavy rains and water releases from Indian dams have pushed the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers into high flood, threatening more areas.
Officials say more than 3.3 million people across 33,000 villages in Punjab have been affected so far.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif visited Muzaffargarh on Wednesday, meeting displaced families after India’s latest alert.
The provincial government has pledged compensation for those who lost homes or crops.
In India’s Punjab state, landslides and flooding have already killed at least 29 people.
Meanwhile, Pakistan faces its worst flooding since 2022, when climate-driven rains claimed nearly 1,700 lives.