Pakistan is severely flooded after a flood in 2022.
The call by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres comes in the context that Pakistan is simultaneously suffering from the impacts of climate change and the inadequacies of the global financial system.
Speaking at the international conference held in Geneva (Switzerland) on assisting Pakistan to rebuild after floods, Mr. Guterres highlighted the need for large investments to support communities in Pakistan to rebuild because future.
Mr. Guterres emphasized that Pakistan is being heavily affected by climate change, as well as inadequacies in the global financial system when middle-income countries are regularly denied debt relief and do not be granted the concessional grants needed to invest in disaster resilience.
According to the Pakistan Recovery and Reconstruction Plan to be announced on January 9, Pakistan needs $16.3 billion to recover from severe floods in 2022, as well as better cope with the situation. Climate Change. The Pakistani government says it can only cover 50% of this cost.
Families and their belongings are submerged in floodwaters in Balochistan province, Pakistan, August 28, 2022.
The conference was co-organized by Pakistan and the United Nations to seek funding to support the long-term recovery process and the long-term resilience plan of the South Asian nation.
At the event, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the floods that occurred in the country last year were "the biggest climate disaster in the history of Pakistan", and called for the support of the international community in this regard. next few years to help the country implement its reconstruction plan.
For his part, speaking via video, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris is ready to assist Pakistan in negotiations with financial institutions that are creditors of the South Asian country. Mr. Macron affirmed that France will continue to provide expertise and some financial support to Pakistan.
The floods in June 2022 severely affected the lives of 33 million people, destroyed 2 million homes and claimed the lives of nearly 1,700 people. Millions of people have to be evacuated and have not yet been able to return home, while the floodwaters have not receded, leading to the risk of spreading a series of diseases.
According to the United Nations, the number of people facing food insecurity in the world has doubled to 14.6 million. The World Bank estimates that 9 million people could fall into poverty as a result of flooding in Pakistan.