Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has launched a research paper titled Rights of People and State of Flood Rehabilitation in Sindh” in program held here at a local hotel.Speakers emphasized the urgent need for precautionary measures ahead of this year’s monsoon season as the Meteorological Office predicted that Southern Pakistan may receive heavy rains comparable to the 2022 deluge, which caused devastating floods in Sindh, Balochistan and Southern Punjab. Sindh Minister for Rehabilitation Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman, the events chief guest, assured that the provincial government was making every effort to rehabilitate those affected by the 2022 floods.
He noted that the Sindh government is constructing millions of houses in flood-affected areas, affirming, Sindh government will not leave people alone.Chairman of the Sindh Human Rights Commission, Iqbal Detho stated that according to the UN and the Constitution of Pakistan, flood affectees have the fundamental right to rehabilitation and must be provided with basic facilities like education, health and safe drinking water. Following the 2022 floods, SHRC members visited various affected districts and initiated a comprehensive study focusing on the floods in the province.
Detho noted that the rural areas of Sindh were severely impacted by the 2022 floods. He emphasized SHRC’s role as a bridge between civil society and the government, committing to protecting the rights of vulnerable members of society. Researcher Naseer Memon highlighted the extensive impact of the 2022 floods, which affected 24 districts. The research focused on the human rights of vulnerable communities including persons with disabilities, minorities, women and children, and covered three key districts i.e Khairpur, Dadu and Mirpurkhas to provide a comprehensive cross-section of the affected areas and populations. The study involved direct communication with local communities and government officials to gather firsthand insights. “People were actively engaged in the process, and their inputs have been incorporated into our recommendations,” Memon said.
The study found that the extraordinary rains and subsequent disasters disproportionately affected women and vulnerable sections of society, who received no special consideration in the relief efforts. Many people lacked basic shelter for several days after the flood and drinking water sources remained heavily polluted, research paper stated. Alarmingly, there is no comprehensive data available on the health impacts of the floods, though there were abnormally high cases of malaria and other waterborne diseases reported. The education infrastructure also suffered significantly, with 35% of girls schools damaged, and only half of these schools have been repaired, mostly during election periods. While 500,000 houses have been constructed, marking a significant improvement with many being Paka” houses, those displaced at the time of the floods often missed out on compensation.
Moreover, one and a half years later, floodwaters still stand in parts of Khairpur district, he pointed out.Memon underscored the urgent need for District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) to become more active, noting significant gaps in their current operations.
