In 2022 catastrophic monsoon flooding hit Pakistan. Over 33 million people were impacted by the disaster. Around 1 million houses were destroyed or severely damaged.
ShelterBox has been responding in Pakistan in partnership with Islamic Relief. From tents in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, we are now supporting people with more durable shelter.
One of those supported to build a durable shelter was Sheena. She shares her story of the devastation and recovery from the floods.
“Everything was good…”
Before the floods Sheena and her family had a peaceful life. They had a home, crops, and raised cows, buffaloes and goats.
“Before the floods, we were living peacefully, and everything was good. We had our home, livestock, we used to work on our lands and our life was good. Food came from our own lands, there were no difficulties, I also used to have a job.” Sheena shared.
But everything they had worked for would be swept away in the floods.
“We had to just leave our home and run to save our lives”
The monsoon flooding came at night. It took Sheena and her family by surprise, leaving them no time to prepare. The family faced frightening uncertainty.
“We had nowhere to go, no relatives, no one who would let us stay in their home. The flood water came at night, and we had to just leave our home and run to save our lives.”
“All our belongings, crops and livestock, everything was washed away. We saved our children and ourselves to survive.”
After the flood Sheena shared that the family had no home, and nothing to eat. “When we came back to our village after the floods, we did not have a house, we were living in a tent. There were many difficulties while living in a tent with the whole family, it was very difficult.”
“Even if it rains now, we won’t be worried”
ShelterBox and Islamic Relief gave Sheena and her family the tools and supplies needed to create a new durable shelter. They also received cash assistance. This allowed them to hire help to build the shelter. Sheena explained what the aid meant.
“We are thankful to Islamic Relief and ShelterBox, they provided us a shelter to live in where we are living peacefully. They provided us with cement bags, doors, windows, bricks, bamboos, girders and money for hiring labour.”
“That is how we built this home, we have a roof over our heads, even if it rains now, we won’t be worried because we have these permanent shelters. We are confident that if there is a situation the same as in 2022, our home will stand, and we will be safe.”
“Standing together through good and bad, living happily, that is home for me”
With a new shelter, Sheena can now invest her earnings in a business or more livestock. But she is concerned how the climate crisis might affect her in the future.
“Due to climate change, there is so much increase in the rain. The glaciers are melting because of climate change which also contributes to floods and increasing sea levels. This is why there are so many floods and communities suffer a lot of damage.
“We are cutting down trees and making buildings, cities are getting bigger. To control all of this, we must plant as many trees as possible.”
Despite these concerns for the future, Sheena shared what home means to her. “For me home is not a four-wall building, it’s the family we live with. The love that we share, the support that we have for each other and that we live peacefully with our children and all our family members. Standing together through good and bad, living happily, that is home for me.”
