by Seemi Bano
The devastating floods have swept across Gilgit-Baltistan’s mountainous regions and Pakistan’s plains, leaving a trail of death, destruction and mass displacement. Triggered by torrential monsoon rains, cloudbursts, glacial lake outbursts, and floods, compounded by systemic unpreparedness and governance failures, the deluge has claimed over 800 lives and displaced more than 5 million people from G-B to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, as well as into Punjab’s urban centres. The floodwaters now advance towards Sindh, leaving shattered livelihoods, damaged houses, shops and schools, destroyed religious places and crippled vital infrastructure in their wake.
Yet, amid this profound tragedy, the human spirit of resilience and service has shone brighter than the raging waters. With extraordinary courage and compassion, volunteers, service providers, and humanitarian workers have stepped forward to provide relief to the affected families. They work tirelessly, day and night, to provide not just life’s essentials—food, shelter, and medical aid—but also the crucial gift of hope. For this, their selfless commitment commands the utmost appreciation and gratitude from our entire nation.
However, it is essential to pause and reflect on an equally important responsibility: safeguarding and protecting the distraught and vulnerable families. Humanitarian work is not only about delivering aid, it is about ensuring that every action upholds dignity, safety, and respect for all. In times of crisis, when vulnerabilities are heightened, the risks of exploitation, abuse, and neglect increase significantly. Women, girls, boys, men, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities often face unique protection concerns that require sensitivity, awareness, and accountability from those serving them.
Volunteers and aid workers must remember that they are not just providers of relief, they are guardians of trust. Every interaction with an affected family carries the weight of responsibility. This means maintaining professional boundaries, ensuring safe distribution of aid, and being vigilant to prevent any form of discrimination, harassment, or abuse. Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse is not a policy limited to international organisations; it is a principle that every humanitarian worker, whether local volunteer or any service provider, must embrace wholeheartedly.
Equally important is the protection of fellow service providers. Relief work is emotionally and physically demanding. Long hours, exposure to trauma, and the urgency of crisis response can take a toll on volunteers’ own well-being. Self-awareness, mental health care, and mutual respect within response teams are essential. A safe and supportive environment for volunteers ensures they remain effective and resilient in their mission.
Communities themselves must also be engaged as partners in protection. Involving local voices, especially women and marginalised groups, in planning and decision-making ensures that assistance is more inclusive and responsive to real needs. When communities feel empowered and informed, humanitarian efforts become not just a service but a partnership of trust and accountability.
The floods have tested Pakistan’s resilience, but they have also highlighted the immense strength of solidarity. As we rebuild, let us do so with the conviction that safeguarding and protection are not secondary considerations; they are at the heart of humanitarian action.
To every volunteer, CERT (community emergency response team) member, nurse, LHV, doctor, social worker, and local responder: your dedication is saving lives. But let us also commit to protecting dignity, preventing harm, and ensuring that no act of service unintentionally becomes a source of vulnerability.
Volunteers, CERT (community emergency response team) members, doctors, healthcare workers, and local responders are on the front lines saving lives. They must also be on the front lines of safeguarding the vulnerable. Their actions must protect dignity, prevent harm, and ensure that aid delivers only safety, never vulnerability.
In serving humanity, let us not only rebuild homes but also strengthen the foundations of respect, safety, and care for every individual.
While saving lives is the vital work of disaster response, it is the preservation of dignity that defines our humanity. We stand in profound appreciation of every volunteer who has been on the front lines since day one.
Seemi Bano is gender equality, diversity and inclusion advisor. She can be contacted at: Seemifarman@gmail.com
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