Children and older people are dying silently in Pakistan’s climate disasters, as healthcare and disaster response systems fail under rising pressure. A new report by Amnesty International reveals how floods and heatwaves are killing those most at risk. It also shows how most deaths go uncounted.
Climate disasters in Pakistan are becoming more frequent, but healthcare remains critically underfunded and unprepared for mass emergencies.
Amnesty International’s report, Uncounted, highlights how hospitals are overwhelmed during floods and heatwaves, with children and older adults paying the price.
In 2022, devastating floods affected 33 million people and displaced eight million. Record-breaking heat triggered these rains, bursting the Indus River’s banks.
At Badin hospital in Sindh, deaths in September 2022 soared 71% above the monthly average. Most victims were infants, children under five, and adults over 50.
PREVENTABLE DEATHS AND INADEQUATE CARE
Floods trigger respiratory illness and disease, especially among children. Meanwhile, heatwaves place deadly stress on older people with chronic conditions. Seeta, a mother of three, told Amnesty how her infant daughter Kareena died after catching a respiratory infection in a makeshift flood shelter.
With roads blocked and no timely help, Seeta’s daughter died in a hospital after days of suffering. “I screamed for my husband,” she said in tears. Many others shared similar stories. No early warnings, no evacuations, and poor shelters turned climate events into personal tragedies.
HEATWAVE DEATHS GO UNRECORDED
The 2022 and 2024 heat waves brought brutal temperatures nearing 50°C, especially in Punjab and Sindh provinces. Despite this, zero official heat-related deaths were recorded in 2022. But families interviewed by Amnesty tell a different story.
One man in Karachi lost his 65-year-old father in June 2024 during a power outage. “His body was hot. He wasn’t moving,” the son recalled. Ambulances were unavailable. Clinics were under-equipped. His father died en route to a hospital.
NO DATA, NO HELP: CLIMATE DEATHS REMAIN INVISIBLE
Fewer than 5% of deaths in Pakistan are registered. Most post-disaster deaths—especially from disease—are missing from official figures. Flood deaths are usually recorded only if they involve drowning or electrocution. Those who die from illnesses weeks later aren’t counted.
There’s even less clarity for heatwave deaths. Scientists estimate them through “excess mortality,” but Pakistan lacks this tracking. This data gap means older people and children—those most at risk—remain invisible in health planning and disaster aid.
NEW RESEARCH: CLIMATE LINKED TO MORTALITY
To fill this gap, Indus Hospital & Health Network conducted an analysis. They examined death patterns in flood-affected and heat-impacted areas across Punjab and Sindh. Findings show a sharp correlation between rising temperatures and mortality, especially among babies, toddlers, and seniors.
Amnesty also interviewed 210 people, including 90 family members of those who died after floods or heatwaves. Their stories reveal systemic failures. Despite early warnings improving in 2024, health and evacuation services were still missing, repeating the pattern of 2022.
GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LOCAL ACTION NEEDED
Pakistan emits just 1% of global greenhouse gases, yet it ranks among the top five most climate-vulnerable countries.
“The ones least responsible for the climate crisis are suffering the most,” said Amnesty’s Laura Mills. “That’s an unacceptable injustice.” High-income countries must step up with climate financing, technology, and adaptation aid. Fossil fuel consumption in wealthier nations fuels this crisis.
Pakistan must also invest in strengthening healthcare. The country needs to improve data systems and protect the most vulnerable, before the next disaster strikes.
AMNESTY’S CALL TO ACTION
Amnesty urges Pakistan to prioritize healthcare and disaster response reforms to protect the right to life and health under international law.
Meanwhile, global powers must reduce emissions and compensate for climate damages hitting low-income countries like Pakistan. Without serious action, uncounted deaths will continue—and those most at risk will keep paying the highest price.
