In Pakistan, monsoon rains coupled with outbursts from glacial lakes — caused when natural dams of ice or rock in northern mountain ranges suddenly fail — have so far claimed 219 lives and affected about 1.5 million people in more than 4,000 villages. Allahyaar, a 45-year-old farmer from Chak Dumra village, barely had time to grab his family’s meagre savings. “Our village experienced flooding in previous years but every year the water level rises higher than before,” he said. An IFRC emergency appeal helped the Pakistan Red Crescent Society address the immediate needs of 5,700 families.

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