By: Alice Su

Pakistan has always struggled with monsoons during the months of June, July, and August. This year, however, it’s even worse than usual. Global warming is to blame, with extreme weather becoming a norm.

Roads are now rivers. Sewage spurted from manholes has filled houses. Electricity has been cut off for days to prevent water-exposed wires from electrocuting people. In the past five weeks, monsoons have destroyed 5,600 homes and killed over 282 people. Many had roofs collapsed on them or were electrocuted, The National Disaster Management Authority stated on Thursday.

Along with infrastructure, the water also wrecked Pakistan’s business area. In Karachi, Pakistan’s largest port city, many of its wholesale markets dealt with garments and items.

“Traders rushed to their shops to shift their stocks to safe spots but to no avail, as there was so much water that the roads were impassable,” said a leader of Karachi’s traders, Hakeem Shah. “It was complete incompetence of the government. Now the government should compensate the traders, who are already suffering from inflation.”

Mr. Shah was not wrong about the government’s insufficiency. Even preceding the floods, Karachi was already a mess. Roads were crumbling, and slums were expanding. There weren’t any basic government services.

“The people of Karachi pay billions in taxes to the government, but after every spell of rain, Karachi turns into a mess,” Wasim Akhtar, a mayor, said at a news conference. “Where is all the money that the provincial government gets from the federal government?”

In Karachi this month, Danish (a carpenter who uses a single name) fell into an open drain covered by water while riding his motorcycle with his wife and two children. Civilians were able to save him and his 3-year-old daughter, but his wife and 2-year-old died.

“It was not rain that killed my wife and child,” Danish said gravely. “It was the government’s incompetence and people’s helplessness.”

Clearly, the monsoons have hit Pakistan hard. Their government must step up to their responsibilities, though they aren’t the only ones who must do so. With the increasing global warming, the rest of the world must too.