KEY POINTS
- The flash floods have claimed over 344 lives, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hardest hit
- Rescue efforts involve around 2,000 workers battling ongoing rains and debris to recover victims
ISLAMABAD: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has expressed sorrow over the devastating floods in northern Pakistan, extending condolences to families who lost loved ones and calling for global solidarity with the affected communities.
Her heartfelt message, shared via social media, underscores the deep emotional toll and the urgent need for collective compassion.
“My heart breaks for every community affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan, from Gilgit Baltistan to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and especially Buner, Swat, Bajaur, and Shangla in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Malala wrote on X.
“My deepest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods,” she wrote in her heartfelt post.
My heart breaks for every community affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan, from Gilgit Baltistan to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and especially Buner, Swat, Bajaur and Shangla in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
My deepest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones, homes and… pic.twitter.com/6s0fwUZEPc
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) August 16, 2025
The scenic Shangla district, Malala’s hometown, nestled in the Malakand Division, has borne the brunt of the disaster.
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the floods have claimed at least 144 lives across the region, with Shangla alone witnessing 37 fatalities.
The calamity has also left a trail of destruction, 11 homes reduced to rubble, 63 partially damaged, and several schools affected, disrupting education and daily life.
The recent deluge, triggered by a relentless cloudburst and heavy monsoon rains, has resulted in a staggering death toll of over 344 across northern Pakistan, with the majority—324 lives—lost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rescue efforts remain arduous, as around 2,000 rescue workers grapple with debris and ongoing rainfall to recover victims and provide aid.
Malala, renowned for her advocacy of girls’ education and resilience in the face of violence, returned to her ancestral village of Barkana in Shangla in March 2025—her first visit since 2012 since surviving a militant attack.
Earlier, she visited Pakistan in 2018 but was unable to travel to her home village at the time.
