After the Floods, Winter Once Again Exposes the Families of Buner

Located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Buner Valley is usually known for its forested mountains, temperate climate, and relative protection from extreme weather events. For generations, the Ilam Range, dominated by Mount Elum Ghar at 2,800 meters, has served as a natural barrier for its inhabitants. 

But on August 15, 2025, exceptionally heavy rainfall followed by destructive flooding served as a reminder that even historically sheltered regions are no longer spared from the effects of climate change.  

An Unusual Weather Event

In Deewana Pir Baba, home to 120 Sikh families – most of whom are merchants running fabric shops in the bustling bazaar – the rains turned into flash floods within minutes. 

Kelash Kumari, a long-time resident, remembers how quickly it happened: torrents of water carrying rocks and mud flooded homes, severely damaging modest houses and businesses, including the family fabric store that was her household’s source of income.  

At 10 a.m, what began as a drizzle turned into a torrential downpour. Within minutes, the clouds burst over the mountains of Ilam, causing flooding never before seen in Deewana Pir Baba: ” “The sound… I can never forget. It was like the earth tearing apart.” she says. 

Driven by the urgency of the situation, she rushed to a neighbor’s house, where water had begun to rise, to help him. Minutes later, her own house was submerged. Three meters of water flooded the rooms, destroying everything in its path. In an instant, everything was gone. Her husband’s clothing store, located in Peer Baba Bazaar, was also swept away: “Everything we had was washed away, the house, the shop, our belongings. That day changed our lives forever.” she says. 

Like Kelash’s family, thousands of residents lost their homes and livelihoods. In Buner, 504 people lost their lives and more than 3,200 homes were destroyed*. Across the province, 1.57 million people were affected. 

In response to this disaster, in close coordination with the Disaster Relief Department KPK and with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Action Against Hunger deployed an emergency response aimed at: ensuring access to essential health services through mobile medical camps; distributing health and hygiene kits; rehabilitating water sources to restore the supply of safe drinking water; and constructing climate-resilient latrines to promote safer sanitation practices. 

In partnership with the local organization Initiative for Development & Empowerment Axis (IDEA), our teams implemented a more proactive, sustainable, and community-based response, extending beyond the immediate emergency. 

Working alongside communities, Action Against Hunger was able to restore access to essential services including primary health care, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities and provision of winterization kits, and reduce vulnerability to future shocks. This comprehensive approach not only enabled an immediate response but also prepared families to face increasing climate risks, such as the arrival of a particularly harsh winter in the mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

Winter, a New Threat for the Victims of Deewana Pir Baba

While families in Deewana Pir Baba, like Kelash’s family, have not yet fully recovered from the disaster, winter (a traditionally harsh and difficult season in this mountainous part of Pakistan) poses an additional threat. 

For households already deeply weakened by the floods, these conditions represent a major risk and exacerbate an already critical situation. Having lost their homes or still living in damaged structures, and deprived of most of their essential belongings (warm clothing, blankets,…), families find themselves extremely vulnerable. 

To combat the cold, Action Against Hunger teams distributed 240 winter kits to 2,040 people as part of their intervention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

Among them Kelash and her family received kits containing blankets, sweaters, socks, and other essential household items. This support allowed them to maintain a minimum level of warmth during the coldest weeks of the year. “These kits are crucial for us to survive the harsh winters in Buner. Everything we had earlier was washed away with the floods. This support means we can keep our children warm and safe.” she says. 

Today, Kelash dreams of rebuilding her life. Her optimism reflects the resilience of a community that refuses to be broken by tragedy. “We will rise again,” she says with quiet determination. “This is not the end for us,” she declares.  

Kelash Kumari’s testimony is more than a story of survival; it is a reminder of how climate change is disrupting natural balances, triggering disasters in previously unaffected regions, and exposing communities to harsher winters, increasingly unpredictable seasons, and heightened vulnerability to extreme weather events. 

Pakistan remains among the 10 countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The scale of the challenges is immense. 

Accelerated glacial melt, combined with deforestation and soil erosion, significantly increases the risk of extreme weather events, including in areas long considered protected. 

In 2022, the World Bank warned that Pakistan would need $348 billion by 2030 to adapt, invest in early warning systems, climate-smart infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration. Without urgent action, disasters like the one that struck the Buner Valley, once considered immune to such extremes, will become the new normal.