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UNSG Visits Pakistan, Calls for International Support

  • International support for Pakistan is

    International support for Pakistan is "a matter of justice," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Sep. 9, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/@UN_Spokesperson

Published 9 September 2022
Opinion

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the need to mobilize much more resources for climate catastrophe-stricken Pakistan.
 

As part of his two-day visit to the country, which began on Friday, Guterres addressed a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the capital, Islamabad.

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"Pakistan needs massive international support. It is not just a message of solidarity but an international obligation and responsibility. Pakistan is at the front line of the impact of climate change," Guterres said.

He said this is "a matter of justice" since Pakistan "has not contributed in a meaningful way to climate change." The country is responsible for less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions when it ranks eighth among countries most at risk from extreme weather events; a Germanwatch NGO study points out.

Over 33 million people have been affected, 1 355 have died and 12 722 have been injured by this season's monsoon rains and floods since mid-June, according to the latest figures from Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The NDMA also reported the destruction of more than 1.7 million houses, with 81 districts affected and, 634 749 people currently living in camps.

Last month, the UN called for immediate international funding of 160 million dollars, which is starting to arrive. The Pakistani government has already developed a flood relief plan.

The country's authorities have said the priority is to provide food and shelter to the millions of people who lost their homes, noting that at least 10 million dollars will be needed to repair infrastructure damage.

Pakistan had not experienced such heavy rains in decades during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September and usually brings heavy rainfall to South Asia.


 

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