ASIA/PAKISTAN - Parish priest encourages flood victims: "You are not alone in this difficult time"

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – "The flood victims are in shock: panic and suffering are spreading among the survivors, who still remember 2022 and are traumatized by these ongoing natural disasters. As the parish community of Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Bhai Pheru, south of Lahore, we are collaborating with Caritas of the Archdiocese of Lahore to welcome refugees and distribute humanitarian aid: a small gesture of hope,” says Father Qaiser Feroz OFM Cap, Capuchin friar and parish priest in Bhai Pheru. “We console and encourage the flood victims by telling them: you are not alone in this difficult time; your bishop, priests, catechists, and all the faithful are by your side," he affirmed.
"The overflow of the Ravi River caused severe damage, flooding crops and homes." "The main sources of daily livelihood for all residents in the region are agriculture and livestock farming, but now both sources have been destroyed," he explains. "Over 3,200 villages have been affected by the floods in Punjab, and one million people have been rescued and evacuated thanks to the efforts of government and private aid organizations," he continued.
Baba Jaila from the village of Gohar Kookan on the banks of the Ravi River reports: "Our houses and fields are flooded; we have no place to live; some families have been taken in by relatives." Salamat Masih, a Christian who is also among the victims of the Ravi River floods, says: "We urgently need not only daily food but also a home to live a dignified and safe life. We ask the authorities to help us leave Gohar Kookan. We want to avoid the risk of being hit by floods every year. Becoming homeless every year is a terrible experience."
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan (NDMA) today raised the flood alert level in both eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, stating that residential areas of Peshawar city are also at risk of flooding.
In the past 10 days, at least 41 people have been killed in Punjab province, which has been hit by severe flooding since last week, caused by both heavy monsoon rains and excess water from India. A total of over 2.4 million people have been affected by the floods and have been forced to evacuate.
Since the start of the monsoon season on June 26, rain and flooding have claimed a total of 863 lives across Pakistan and caused extensive damage to villages and agricultural land. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 2/9/2025)

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