In 2022, tragedy struck Pakistan in a way that even the sky seemed to mourn. Torrential rains submerged the borders of Sindh and Balochistan, leaving vast lands underwater. Roads vanished, villages disappeared, and what remained was an endless journey through desolation. I travelled from Khairpur to Sohbatpur, nearly 600 km north of Karachi, where every house and settlement lay beneath water. Having just joined a humanitarian organization as a Response Lead, I was the first staff member to drive into the worst-affected districts.

Villages once alive with laughter had turned into deserts of despair. People trudged through waist-high waters, clutching fragments of their lives. Mothers held their babies tightly, praying for survival. The elderly, the sick, and especially pregnant women suffered the most, many giving birth on roadsides or in makeshift camps without medical care. According to the UNFPA, an estimated 73,000 women were due to deliver in September 2022, many without midwives or proper facilities.

The 2022 Pakistan Floods: A Humanitarian Catastrophe

The 2022 floods were the most catastrophic climate disaster in Pakistan’s history, eclipsing even the devastation of 2010 (Arshad et al., 2022; Idress et al., 2023). From June to November, relentless monsoons submerged one-third of the country, displacing over 33 million people (Arshad et al., 2022; Shaikh et al., 2023; Nisar et al., 2024). More than 1,700 lives were lost, including 647 children, while millions were left homeless (Ngo, 2023; Nisar et al., 2024). Economic damages were staggering—$15 billion in housing and infrastructure alone (Ngo, 2023). At least 80 districts were impacted, over one million homes destroyed, and health facilities severely crippled, with 1,460 damaged and 432 completely demolished (Arshad et al., 2022; Nasir et al., 2023).

A Public Health Crisis

The destruction extended beyond homes and livelihoods. Floodwaters contaminated drinking sources with sewage and animal waste, sparking widespread disease outbreaks (Manzoor et al., 2022; Basaria et al., 2023). Diarrheal illnesses became the most common, with over 149,000 reported cases (Khan et al., 2022; Naeem et al., 2023). Cholera claimed lives in Balochistan, and acute watery diarrhea spread across crowded camps (Manzoor et al., 2022; Alied et al., 2023). Sindh alone documented more than 140,000 cases of skin and eye infections (Manzoor et al., 2022; Naeem et al., 2023).

Clean water had become a forgotten luxury. Women walked miles to fetch muddy water, while broken supply schemes left entire communities desperate. Mosquitoes bred in stagnant water, spreading malaria. I remember meeting people who were either feverish or dehydrated, while health facilities were completely overwhelmed.

Responders on the Frontlines

The Pakistan army and government agencies mobilized rapidly setting up tent cities, rescuing families, and dropping supplies by helicopter. Yet, alongside them, humanitarian aid workers emerged as the quiet backbone of relief. They set up water points, distributed food, supported maternal care, and provided mental health sessions under the open sky.

But the toll on responders was immense. Aid workers endured hunger, exhaustion, and isolation while wading through floodwaters and navigating collapsed infrastructure. They carried not only supplies but also silent trauma. Research confirms that humanitarian workers face extreme risks—psychological, physical, and operational—while working in collapsed systems and fragile communities (LLM Memory).

Hope, however, was never absent. It came in the dried tears of a mother, the resilience of a child, and the courage of volunteers.

The Weight of Humanitarian Work

Travelling by boat from Shikarpur to Sohbatpur, I saw how 30,000 km² of land had become a vast lake, displacing eight million people. Still, aid workers carried on. Their burden extended beyond logistical challenges to threats, harassment, and even violence. In Jacobabad, Kashmore, and Shikarpur, I witnessed field staff threatened by local tribal leaders, some even physically attacked. Accountability was rare, but the emotional scars were deep.

The dangers did not end there. Flood zones brought malaria, dengue, cholera, and respiratory illnesses. Aid workers, like survivors, lacked clean water and medical care, yet they continued. Many of my own colleagues fell ill but refused to abandon their mission.

The emotional toll was heavier still. Workers witnessed mothers giving birth in tents, children crying from hunger, and the elderly clinging to their last possessions. Studies reveal alarming rates of distress, burnout, depression, and PTSD among humanitarian staff (Cameron et al., 2024; Ozcan et al., 2021; Connorton et al., 2012). National staff, often at higher risk, suffer more deeply due to insecure contracts and limited protections (Musa et al., 2008; Ozcan et al., 2021).

Coping strategies vary—from social support and spirituality to harmful habits like alcohol and overwork (Young et al., 2018; Ozcan et al., 2021). Organizational programs can reduce anxiety and burnout, but many workers continue without such support (Fouchier et al., 2018).

Beyond Pakistan – A Global Struggle

The challenges faced in Pakistan mirror those of aid workers across the world. In Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Gaza, Sudan, the DRC, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Haiti, they operate in the shadow of violence, famine, or political collapse. Despite risks of kidnapping, harassment, or even death, they keep going. In 2023 alone, over 140 aid workers were killed worldwide while serving communities in need.

These are not soldiers but humanitarians—armed only with empathy, determination, and hope.

Rethinking the Humanitarian Workforce

Aid workers are the backbone of crisis response, yet policies lag far behind their realities. National staff—the majority of the workforce—are underrepresented in leadership, underpaid, and overexposed to risks. Reform is urgent: localization must be prioritized, with fair contracts, gender-sensitive protections, better security, and career development pathways. Mental health support, rest, and training must become standards.

Without these changes, the sector will be ill-equipped to face the growing complexity of global humanitarian crises.

A Final Reflection

I have walked through broken roads, stood in floodwaters, and sat with families who lost everything. I have gone hungry, carried my own grief, and worked in silence, but I stayed—because in the eyes of the people, I saw both fear and fragile hope.

And I know I am not alone.

Across the globe, countless aid workers carry the same invisible weight. To them I say:

You are the soul of humanity.
You are not alone.
And you are not forgotten.

References: 

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  Idress, A., Rehman, A. U., Mohsin, A., & Lee, K. Y. (2023). Pregnant women lose all hope of help as Pakistan drowns in floods. Health Science Reports, 6(1)

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