A year after Pakistan’s devastating floods, challenges drag on for most, but signs of hope for some

By RIAZAT BUTT
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A year on from the floods in Pakistan that killed at least 1,700 people, destroyed millions of homes, wiped out swathes of farmland, and caused billions of dollars in economic losses, the country still hasn’t fully recovered. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, residents had to rely on contaminated water, but now authorities are taking steps to prepare for the next disaster. In Punjab, farms got a lucky break as the water enriched once-dry lands. In Sindh, many children are still without schools as authorities struggle to repair the extensive damage. And in rural areas of Baluchistan, only those who saved their solar panels from the flooding have access to electricity to keep the cool in the summer heat.