Most climate disaster deaths in Pakistan go uncounted as heat and floods strain health care
A new Amnesty International report reveals that the majority of climate-related deaths in Pakistan are not recorded, obscuring the full human toll as extreme weather events worsen and overwhelm the country's fragile health system.
Keerti Gopal reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Pakistan’s health system, already stretched thin, is unable to track the true number of deaths caused by climate disasters such as floods and extreme heat.
- Most deaths occur after the initial disaster, often due to disease or lack of access to health care, yet they are rarely classified as climate-related or recorded at all.
- The report criticizes both Pakistan’s government and wealthier, high-emitting countries for inadequate responses and support amid escalating climate health crises.
Key quote:
“You’re only getting a tiny piece of the picture of who’s dying.”
— Laura Mills, Amnesty International
Why this matters:
What's happening in Pakistan reflects a larger global crisis: the failure to measure and address the true human cost of climate change. With over 95% of deaths in Pakistan going unregistered, the lack of data hinders both disaster response and public health planning. Poor and marginalized populations — children, the elderly, people with disabilities — are often the most vulnerable and the least likely to have their deaths recorded or linked to climate impacts. As floods and heat waves increase in frequency and intensity, they amplify risks of disease, malnutrition, and displacement, deepening poverty and health inequities. Wealthier nations, while historically the biggest polluters, are retreating from international aid and climate commitments, leaving frontline countries like Pakistan to bear disproportionate burdens.
Related: Extreme heat arrives weeks early in India and Pakistan as climate change accelerates
