Lahore:
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said that the recent floods across the country are not only “natural disasters” but a direct consequence of human negligence and poor governance.
The Commission pointed to reports from South Punjab, parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, which highlighted extensive loss of life and property, as it linked to uncontrolled interventions, deforestation, corruption and environmental access.
While relief operations are underway, HRCP warned that the extent of assistance is far from sufficient. It called for the immediate implementation of several relief teams, the establishment of additional camps and fair access to food, shelter, clean water and healthcare.
The statement emphasized that vulnerable groups – including women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities – must be prioritized.
The Commission described those who were displaced by the floods as “climate refugees” which deserve long -term rehabilitation.
It called on the government to provide sustainable housing and livelihood opportunities that warned that the lack of doing this would burn poverty and social turmoil.
According to HRCP, the secondary consequences of the disaster will soon unfold in the form of rising food prices, large -scale migration against cities and the degradation of already overloaded urban infrastructure.
With huge channels of agricultural land that is immersed and crops destroyed, food supply chains are expected to be exposed to serious disorders, creating both an economic and humanitarian crisis.
The Commission emphasized that piecemeal or short -term measures would not be sufficient. Instead, it called on the establishment of authorized and resourceful local governments to ensure readiness and rapid response to the community level.
It also called for the revitalization of civilian defense institutions, modernization of early warning systems and prioritization of climate silent infrastructure.
