“It’s like nature has attacked the wrong targets. It should be those that are more responsible for climate change that should have to face this kind of challenge.”
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday called world community for ‘massive’ financial support for flood-ravaged Pakistan as damages caused by deadly deluges exceed $30 billion.
“I call on the international community that Pakistan needs massive financial support, as according to initial estimates the losses are around $30 billion”, Guterres told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
Guterres said the world needed to understand the impact of climate change on low-income countries.
“It is essential for the international community to realise this, especially the countries who have contributed more to climate change,” he said.
Unprecedented flash floods caused by historic monsoon rains have washed away roads, crops, infrastructure and bridges across Pakistan affecting over a quarter of the country’s 220 million population.
Since June, over 33 million people affected or displaced by record-breaking floods that have killed more than 1,400 people. The World Health Organization has said more than 6.4 million people need humanitarian support in flooded areas.
The UN chief is scheduled to visit the areas most impacted by the climate catastrophe on Saturday.
Guterres said the country of about 220 million people contributes less than 1 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is constantly listed among the top 10 countries vulnerable to climate change.
“It’s like nature has attacked the wrong targets. It should be those that are more responsible for climate change that should have to face this kind of challenge,” Guterres said.
He described Pakistan among the places most affected by the consequences of climate change.
“So, there is an obligation of the international community to massively support Pakistan in these circumstances, and there is an obligation of the international community to take seriously the need to drastically reduce emissions,” he said.
Guterres renewed his call for increasing international support to help Pakistan deal with the emergency, promising mobilization of more U.N. resources.
The UN has launched an appeal for $160 million in aid to help Pakistan cope with the disaster.
“We know that our contribution is limited. We know that what we do is a drop in the ocean of the needs, but we are totally committed,” he said.
PM Sharif said the country needs an “infinite amount of funding” for its relief effort. “Pakistan will remain in trouble as long as it doesn’t receive sufficient international assistance”.
The government expects to cut its GDP growth projection for the financial year 2022-2023 to 3 percent from 5 percent due to the losses.
Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the country plans a donor conference to work on reconstruction of flood-hit areas after the rescue and relief phase of the crisis completed.
“When we have a 100 kilometers lake that has developed in the middle of Pakistan, tell me how big of a drain can I build to manage this?” the minister said. “There is no man-made structure that can evacuate this water.” In July and August, Pakistan recorded 391 mm (15.4 inches) of rainfall – nearly 190 percent more than the 30-year average
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