Relentless floods have claimed the lives of more than 170 people in eastern Pakistan, about half of them children, in the latest catastrophe that underscores the country’s vulnerability to the escalating climate crisis.

A man wades through a flooded street amidst heavy monsoon rains in Rawalpindi on July 17. Heavy rains have been linked to 54 deaths in the past 24 hours in Pakistan, taking the toll to about 180 since the arrival of the monsoon in late June, the government's disaster agency said. (Photo: AFP)

Torrential rain has triggered flooding, destroyed hundreds of houses, and killed more than 150 people in the past month.