Swat valley: the road to recovery

Aerial view of the Swat river six weeks after flash floods triggered by record rains caused massive destruction in the north-western Swat valley of Pakistan. Photo taken from an American military helicopter delivering aid to flood-stricken residents Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian Flood-stricken villagers are evacuated in an American Chinook helicopter after the roads were cut off Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian The floods started in Swat, a verdant valley still reeling from a punishing war against the Taliban in 2009. Now US soldiers are leading the charge with a helicopter-borne airlift and hoping to regain trust Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian Flood-stricken villagers from the Kalam valley, in upper Swat, are evacuated in an American Chinook helicopter Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian Flood-stricken villagers from the Kalam valley, in upper Swat Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian The remains of the main hospital at Madyan, in upper Swat valley, after the rest was washed away by the floods Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian Schoolchildren in their bus near Mingora. A semblance of normality has returned to the southern part of the Swat valley which suffered relatively minor flood damage Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian Residents pass along a makeshift road under the remains of Jare village, in the central part of Swat valley Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Guardian Photograph: Declan Walsh/For the Guardian