When the Indus river system flooded in 2010, devastating countless villages and agricultural land across roughly one-fifth of Pakistan's land area, it was an extraordinary and terrible catastrophe. Twelve years later, monsoon flooding has become routine in the summer months. Even so, this monsoon season has seen the worst flooding in Pakistan's 75 years.
Images of the flooding have been captured by citizens all over the country as people struggle to escape the sudden torrents carrying away vehicles and stranding both humans and animals in the middle of the suddenly angry river. Harrowing scenes of drowning livestock are counterpointed with daring rescues carried out by ordinary people pulling others out of the water. The multi-story luxury Honeymoon Hotel in the mountain town of Kalam in Swat district tumbled into the river yesterday like a matchstick house. This map from CriticalThreats.org shows the extent of the flooding that is ongoing right now.
Relief efforts are underway, with private citizen groups doing their best to gather funds and resources to set up medical camps and relief sites. If you would like to donate to the relief efforts, here is a Twitter thread full of resources.
