Muhammad looks out across the plain where he and his family once lived. He has eight children. The floodwater has drained now, but the land is still thick with mud. Everything he owned used to stand there. Now it is gone, washed away by the flood.
The family had experienced flooding before, back in 2023. He said:
“Then, the water was lower and the embankment held, protecting our village.”
After that flood, Muhammad thought seriously about leaving. But in the end, he decided to stay.
“I decided to remain because we have relatives nearby, and our children were attending the local school.”
In late June 2025, the monsoon rains arrived, much heavier than usual. As rain fell day after day, the river began to swell. At first, Muhammad and the rest of the villagers believed they would be safe. He said:
This time, the water initially stopped at the riverbank, and we tried to strengthen the embankment by adding soil. However, the water level kept rising.
It was night-time when the situation suddenly became critical. A surge of water broke through the embankment and rushed towards the village and Muhammad’s home. The floodwater carried heavy sediment which Muhammad’s mud-walled house was ill equipped withstand. He said:
“During the night, the embankment broke. The situation became very dangerous. The water started coming in rapidly. Everything began collapsing, and it felt as if life itself had stopped. We could only save our children. We had no time to gather our belongings.”
Battling the floodwaters, Muhammad managed to get his entire family onto a boat and eventually to safety.
Now homeless, with nothing left, Muhammad remembers how difficult life became in the days that followed.
Life was extremely hard. We had to sit outside. If someone gave us food, we would eat it, often from used dishes. During the winter days, the cold was very severe. Our bodies felt numb. We had to stay alert all the time, especially for our children.
As news of the devastation spread, assessment teams travelled across the area. Muhammad remembers the day they reached his family:
At first, they thought the place looked like a graveyard because everything was destroyed. Then we explained that these were our homes and belongings. When they understood our situation, they recorded our names for assistance.
For Muhammad and his family, what followed was life changing.
“ShelterBox and Islamic Relief Pakistan provided us with a tent, which was extremely helpful. They did us a great favour because we had nothing and were living under the open sky. When they arrived, they treated us like elder brothers, giving us shelter and protecting our dignity.”
His gratitude goes beyond the supplies alone.
“We have never seen people like them before. Even some relatives do not show such kindness. They treated us with great respect and care. Whenever we offered them food, they politely refused and instead shared their own food and water with us.”
ShelterBox and Islamic Relief Pakistan have supported thousands of people like Muhammad, whose lives have been devastated by flooding across the region. Together, we have delivered essential aid including tents, thermal blankets, floor mats, solar lights and kitchen sets, enabling families to boil water, prepare food and keep warm during the winter months.
Muhammad also speaks about how small items made a big difference to daily life.
The solar lights were very helpful. Before that, the nights were completely dark. With the two lights provided, we used one inside the tent and one outside, which made our surroundings much safer.
Today, Muhammad looks towards the future knowing it will not be easy, but he is determined to rebuild his family’s life after experiencing such devastation.
At present, I do not even have a house. I must rebuild my home while also supporting my family.
Heavy monsoon rains and sudden cloudbursts have triggered devastating floods and landslides. Entire villages have been destroyed, leaving families without homes, income or belongings.
Millions of people have been affected, with many forced to live in temporary shelters or out in the open as they begin to rebuild their lives.
ShelterBox and Islamic Relief Pakistan are supporting families with emergency shelter and essential items, but needs remain high.
Learn more about the floods in Pakistan and how we are supporting affected communities.
