Center for a New American Security

As of Wednesday, devastating floods in Pakistan had directly affected 15.4 million people, damaging or destroying nearly a million homes and 3.2 million hectares of crops.  The satellite image above shows flooding near Kashmor, Pakistan on August 12, right before the second wave of flooding hit.  Flooding traveled down the Indus River from northwestern Pakistan to this area of southern Pakistan: the flood-swollen river is muddy and brown and has covered much of the city of Khewali and surrounding farmland.  Flooding is already causing a vast humanitarian disaster, and although the United States and others have committed aid and emergency assistance, the UN warns that this will not be enough. The floods could prove a major destabilizing factor in the country and the region.  

Photo: Courtesy of Robert Simmon, NASA.