By Riaz Hussain
In the fading warmth of autumn, Irfan Ali sits on the veranda of a relative’s house, watching his five children huddle together. His own home, like his small mobile shop in Pir Baba Bazaar, was swallowed by the raging floods that tore through Buner on August 15.
“It was easier to sleep in the open during the summer,” he said softly, his eyes fixed on the ground. “But with the cold approaching, how will I protect my children? That is what keeps me awake at night.”
Ali is one of hundreds of traders who lost everything when a sudden cloudburst unleashed torrents of water across Buner. Overnight, more than 700 shops in Pir Baba were reduced to rubble and mud. For Ali, the financial loss was devastating, but the broken promises that followed have been harder to bear.
“The government promised us help. They even issued cheques. But most of those cheques are still not cashed,” he said, his voice rising with frustration. “Whether someone lost millions or just a few thousand, they treat us all the same. That is injustice.”
Promises vs. Reality
The provincial government announced compensation of Rs 500,000 per destroyed shop — a figure traders say is far from enough. “We invested millions in our businesses. Half a million cannot rebuild our lives,” Ali explained.
That frustration spilled into the streets earlier this week when a local Action Committee organized protests in Pir Baba, demanding immediate payments and highlighting the lack of clean water and sanitation in the area.
The Wider Toll
The August 15 floods were among the deadliest in recent years. More than 250 people died in Buner alone, while across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at least 396 lives were lost and 190 people injured, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Over 2,100 homes and 266 schools were destroyed, leaving more than 23,000 people displaced.
Riaz Khan, a Member of the Provincial Assembly from Buner, defended the government’s performance. He said Rs 50 crore in compensation cheques had already been distributed to 251 bereaved families and Rs 30 crore in food aid delivered through mobile transfers. “Each family that lost a loved one has received Rs 2 million. We are also providing Rs 500,000 for shops and Rs 1 million for destroyed houses,” Khan said, adding that rehabilitation of roads and infrastructure is underway.
The KP government has also promised to allocate 20-marla plots for the worst-affected families.
Aid Announced, But Not Reached
Provincial authorities say victims with injuries will receive between Rs 200,000 and Rs 500,000. The federal government has stepped in with a nationwide package of Rs 20 billion, including supplementary compensation of Rs 500,000 for each deceased person’s family, medical coverage for the injured, and support for infrastructure repair.
Yet in Buner, aid agencies say much of this assistance has yet to reach those in need. Abdul Ghaffar Khan of Alkhidmat Foundation, which has been active in relief efforts, painted a grim picture: “People are still homeless. Debris from destroyed houses and shops remains uncleared. Water and sanitation systems are broken. And with winter approaching, families — especially children — urgently need blankets and warm clothes.”
Winter Shadows
Local communities, drawing on Pashtoon traditions of hospitality, have taken in displaced families. But as icy winds creep down from the mountains, survival in these crowded temporary arrangements looks increasingly uncertain.
For Irfan Ali, the struggle is not just about rebuilding a business — it is about keeping his children alive through the winter. Looking at the wreckage where his shop once stood, he summed up the mood of many flood victims:
“We don’t want more promises. We need real help — before the cold kills more than the floods did.”