Jamna (15) lost her mother in the flood: Misses her every day
Nearly 2,000 people lost their lives in the devastating floods that hit Pakistan in 2022, submerging one-third of the country. One of the victims was the mother of Jamna Keval.
We carefully follow a narrow path of slippery mud and gravel leading into the village of Dano Kolhi in Sindh, Pakistan, where 15-year-old Jamna Keval lives. Three years ago, half of the houses in this village were destroyed by the flood that affected 30 million people.
Heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers, and glacial melt caused by heatwaves created a state of emergency across the country. For Jamna, it marked the beginning of life without her mother.
“I don’t remember anything except losing my mother. The flood only reminds me of her. Now that there’s been flooding again, all the memories have come back. It’s incredibly hard to move on without her. I miss her every day,” she says quietly.
A wall collapsed on her
We meet Jamna in her rebuilt home, where she lives with her younger sisters and her blind father. On the day she lost her mother in 2022, the water came rushing in. Her mother, who was sitting near a wall in the house, was hit when the wall collapsed under the force of the flood. Jamna remembers it vividly.
“My mother suffered serious injuries to her head and body. My father took her to the hospital, but she grew weaker and eventually passed away”, she says.
NCA was among the first responders, working alongside local partner Research and Development Foundation. Together, we distributed hygiene kits, installed toilets and water tanks, repaired three water stations, and provided jerry cans and tents.
Now, flooding has returned to several areas in Pakistan, and for Jamna, the emotional toll is heavy.
“Losing my mother was a huge shock. I still can’t believe she’s gone. I can’t bear the thought of living the rest of my life without her,” she says softly, and continues:
“In the beginning, I cried all the time.”
The painful emotions have resurfaced with the new floods.
“I feel a lot of fear. Both about what the future holds, and how the next flood might affect us as a family.”
Extreme weather and community support
Jamna’s father, Keval, says they wouldn’t have managed without the help of neighbors and friends in the village. He lost his sight as a young man, and raising three daughters alone has been challenging.
“Being a father to Radhika, Madhu, and Jamna in this difficult situation would not have been possible without the support of friends, family, and neighbors. Thanks to them, the two youngest will soon start school.”
Climate change poses a major challenge for Pakistan, which is considered one of the most vulnerable countries in the world. Rising temperatures, more extreme weather, and changing rainfall patterns affect water supply and agriculture, increasing the risk of natural disasters.
Floods and droughts hit the poorest areas hardest, threatening food security and living conditions. Meanwhile, glaciers in the Himalayas are melting faster, which could lead to severe water shortages in the future.
NCA contributes through climate adaptation efforts such as climate-smart agriculture, water management, and support to communities most affected.
In recent years, extreme heat has also become a serious issue. Temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius, combined with floods and drought, affect daily life for everyone in the region, including Jamna.
“The heat is so intense. I get tired, and sometimes it’s almost impossible to be outside. I truly hope we’ll have a better future here, different from how things are today.”
Deadly heatwaves
According to the Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index 2025, Pakistan is the most climate-affected country despite contributing less than one percent to global emissions. Recurrent floods, droughts, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are compounded by increasingly deadly heatwaves—silent disasters that disproportionately impact low-income communities.
Between September 2024 and March 2025, Pakistan received 40 percent less rainfall, triggering drought alerts in Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan. By spring, nationwide heatwave warnings were issued, highlighting risks such as flash floods, glacial melt, and urban flooding.
- Sindh: Cities like Karachi face recurring heat emergencies, overwhelming health systems and endangering daily wage earners in poorly ventilated informal settlements.
- Punjab: Extreme heat and dry spells threaten agriculture, reduce wheat and cotton yields, and worsen water scarcity. Urban centers suffer from intensified heat due to deforestation and rapid urbanization.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP): Heatwaves now reach cooler regions like Swat, accelerating glacial melt and disrupting agriculture, tourism, and livelihoods. Peshawar’s dense urban areas and weak health infrastructure heighten vulnerability.
