LOWER DIR, Pakistan: The wooden roof of a classroom in the Sabar Shah Primary School hung loose earlier this month, its cracked walls lined with nervous children who shuffle in every morning despite the danger.

They sit at their desks watching the ceiling instead of their books, each rumble of thunder a reminder that the roof could collapse at any time.

Since mid-August, heavy monsoon rains have battered Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, damaging 704 schools — 669 partially and 35 completely — according to the provincial Elementary and Secondary Education Department. Nationwide, over 900 people have been killed since the monsoon season started on June 26, at least 411 of them in KP.

In the province’s Lower Dir district, the worst-affected in terms of school damage, more than 100 buildings have been hit, leaving thousands of children struggling to continue their education inside unsafe classrooms.

“After the cracks occurred in the walls, we can not focus on our studies because we have the damage to the school building in our mind,” said Abdullah, a 10-year-old third grader. “Since we have no other nearby government school, I have to pursue my education in this same school, whatever the circumstances may be, but my studies are impacted, and I fear for my future.”

Pakistan already has one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school children — more than 26 million, according to UNICEF and UNESCO. Teachers and parents warn that the damage to schools in KP risks pushing even more children out of classrooms, as families weigh education against safety.

Hifza Hayat, an 11-year-old in fourth grade, recalled a frightening moment when wood from the roof fell during a lesson. 

“The General Science class was in progress and there were clouds,” she said. “The dangling plywood fell on the fan and was pushed to the side.”

She said the fear has made it harder to learn. 

“During the lessons in the classroom, we look more into the roof and walls,” she said. “We are always double-minded, we can’t remember lessons properly. The studies have been impacted badly, and the situation has left an impact on our minds. If this continues, I would not be able to study.”

Muhammad Yasir, who teaches science and is the school’s in-charge, said the building had been in poor condition even before the recent rains worsened it. Around 300 children are enrolled, and classes are often shifted outdoors when the weather turns threatening.

“When it rains, or even when we see clouds in the sky, we take the students outside and give lessons under the open sky,” he said.

“It is difficult to teach with proper concentration under such circumstances, hence the teaching and learning abilities are significantly impacted.”

“MOUTH OF DEATH”

Deputy District Education Officer Fayaz Ud Din confirmed that Lower Dir had the highest number of damaged schools in the province, adding that he had informed the provincial government that 31 schools needed urgent repair:

“The situation for the children’s education is dire after the rains, as the damage is causing the future of thousands to be in danger and keeping the children in school is a challenge. They need very rapid restoration and a lot of resources to accommodate all these children.”

KP Education Minister Faisal Tarakai admitted some schools were so severely damaged that it was not possible to hold classes there. He said the provincial government was in talks with the United Nations and private institutions to ensure repairs. 

“We will do whatever is possible,” Tarakai told media recently, “but we will not let a single child be deprived of education.”

Parents are not convinced and said they were torn between ensuring their children’s safety and keeping them in school. 

Muhammad Islam, who has four children enrolled, described the daily anxiety of sending them into a damaged building.

“Every morning it feels like sending them into the mouth of death, not knowing whether they will return alive,” he said.

“It has become a constant trauma. I don’t want my children to die. The situation has made me think on withdrawing my children from the school. If no proper measures are taken, I will withdraw my children from the school once this annual session concludes.”

Psychologists also warned that the dangers go beyond disrupted lessons. 

“Children studying in damaged schools risk trauma and flashbacks, which can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),” said Khaista Nooreen, a clinical psychologist who works in a private hospital in Peshawar. “It can be seen in children who have gone through such traumas, and fears prevent them from doing well in their lives. in the future.”

For now, the fear is constant for Hayat and her classmates.

“Now when it rains, we worry the walls and the wood and the stones of the walls would fall on us,” she said. “We have no other option but to come to this school and study at God’s disposal.”

MUMBAI/KARACHI: Heavy rains and widespread flooding in basmati rice-growing regions of India and Pakistan have raised concerns over output of the premium staple, driving prices higher as supplies are expected to fall.

India and Pakistan exclusively grow aromatic basmati rice, which sells for nearly twice the price of regular varieties and is primarily imported by Britain, the Middle East, and the United States.

Floods have severely affected the basmati rice crop, but with waters now receding, losses are expected to remain limited provided there is no additional rainfall, said Nitin Gupta, senior vice president at Olam Agri India.

India’s northern states of Punjab and Haryana contribute over 80 percent of the country’s total basmati rice production, while Pakistan’s Punjab province accounts for more than 90 percent of its output.

Heavy rainfall in late August and earlier this month caused the Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej, and Beas rivers to overflow, flooding these regions.

Initial assessments indicate that crops such as paddy, cotton, and pulses on nearly one million hectares were affected in Punjab and Haryana, said an Indian government official.

In Pakistan’s Punjab province rice, sugarcane, corn, vegetables, and cotton on thousands of hectares were submerged earlier this month.

The floods have hit farmers hard, just as crops such as basmati rice and cotton were nearing harvest, said Ibrahim Shafiq, export manager at Latif Rice Mills Pvt Ltd.

In India and Pakistan, paddy seedlings are usually transplanted in June–July, with harvesting starting in late September.

The industry was expecting a bumper crop, but the damage is likely to reduce supplies and push basmati rice prices higher, Shafiq said.

“Conservative estimates put the damage at 20 percent of basmati rice grown in Pakistan...This would definitely drive up the price for basmati rice in local markets as well as international markets,” Shafiq said.

Traders have raised prices by $50 per ton over the past week, and they could rise further if supply shortages remain significant by the end of the harvest, said Gupta of Olam.

However, some industry officials, including Karachi-based Chela Ram Kewlani, say the current price rise is temporarily fueled by reports of crop damage and is expected to ease once supplies from the new season’s harvest arrive.