Pakistan flood impacts London-area families as local relief effort begins

Londoner Imtiaz Shah is thankful his family is safe in flood-ravaged Pakistan. However, for some of his loved ones, it was a narrow escape.

“Some of them were able to flee and some of them were not able to flee,” Shah tells CTV News London.

His hometown of Nowshera had several areas covered by between 122cm and 152cm of water earlier this week. In some areas, the water has now receded.

Shah, who had just returned from a visit a week ago, was shocked when his wife called to say people were being told to flee their homes.

“I’m like, ‘Why, why do they have to leave their house?’” he asks.

Shah says the reason why soon became clear. Video from news websites and pictures from family members showed fast-moving flood water inundating large portions of Nowshera.

One family video shows a wall built around the city breached by flood water — the wall was constructed in 2010 after a flood.

This time, Shah’s wife, son and many extended family members escaped to safety in his home built on high ground, saying, “We have five families in our house.”

Faisal Mahmood of the London, Ont. chapter of the Pakistani Association of Canada is seen with Imitiaz Shah on Aug. 30, 2022. Shah’s family has been impacted by devastating floods in Pakistan. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London) But while relieved his relatives are safe, he is devastated to hear more than 1,000 people have died across Pakistan. He says one tearful loss of a small boy was shared by a friend.

“The guy is pulling the body,” says Shah. “It was just heart wrenching. Why?”

Shah says he feels helpless, as ironically, he works in flood management in Canada. As an expert, he knows more could be done to ease the losses from floods in his homeland, but for now, he just wants to help people recover.

Locally, Faisal Mahmood, of the Pakistani Canadian Association of London (PCAL) is organizing a relief effort.

“Can you imagine, no internet, no hydro, no clean water, no food? Roads are gone, and houses are gone,” he says.

Physical items, including tents, clothes and shoes can be dropped off at 589 Wonderland Road North.

More information on donations can be found by emailing PCAL at [e-mail].