Displaced Pakistan flood victims return home to damaged homes and crops as Punjab promises compensation

Many of the 2.6 million people displaced by record floods in Pakistan’s Punjab province have returned home to find their houses damaged and crops destroyed, as authorities pledged to compensate all victims. The floods, triggered by heavy monsoon rains and water from overflowing dams in India since August, have damaged about 2.5 million acres of farmland and killed 118 people, according to Punjab relief commissioner Nabil Javed.

Punjab officials described August as the province’s worst flooding on record, with rivulets swelling and villages inundated across the breadbasket region. 'Water has receded in most areas,' said Irfan Ali Kathia, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority's director general, noting that the rivers Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej had swollen to unprecedented levels. He said the waters are now moving south toward Sindh province and that a comprehensive damage survey will begin next week to assess crop losses, homes and infrastructure.

Many survivors said they learned of their losses only after returning to flood-hit villages. In Qatalpur village in Punjab, 45-year-old Mohammad Mohsin broke down after returning from a relief camp with his family. His house is still standing but is riddled with cracks. 'The flood destroyed us, our crops are gone,' he told The Associated Press. 'We survived the waters, but I fear one day the roof will fall on us. My house needs urgent repair, but so far we have received no government aid.' In the same village, Parveen Bibi, 39, showed the remains of her broken home where she now sleeps with her children. 'During the flood, we stayed on the riverbank and got food from the government,' she said. Bibi said so far, no official has visited to assess their losses.

Along a roadside in Khanewal district, Sajjad Hussain, 52, said he spent a week under the open sky with his family after his village was submerged earlier this month. 'Now that the water has gone, I am going back,' the farmer said. 'Even if the government only gives me a tent, I will thank God.'

Officials cited the scale of damage and promised assistance. The relief commissioner said compensation would be provided to all victims, though details on how much and when were not immediately announced. The floods have damaged 2.5 million acres of farmland and killed 118 people since August, according to government figures.

Context from the region shows a continuity of extreme weather events. Pakistan witnessed its most devastating monsoon season in 2022 when floods killed 1,739 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage, underscoring the vulnerability of the region to severe rainfall and riverine flooding. Irfan Ali Kathia said the current floodwaters are moving south toward Sindh, where authorities are preparing to manage inflows and ongoing humanitarian needs as communities grapple with loss of homes, crops and livelihoods.

As the water recedes and residents assess what remains, Punjab officials say the focus will shift to rapid damage assessments and targeted aid. The forthcoming survey will catalog crop losses, property damage and infrastructure needs, with the goal of guiding compensation and reconstruction efforts across the province.