Guterres urges radical global finance shake-up to help Pakistan after deadly floods — Global Issues
“If there is any doubt about loss and damage, go to Pakistan,” he told delegates at the conference. International conference on Pakistan adaptation to climate change. “There is a loss. There is damage. The devastation of climate change is real. From floods and droughts to tornadoes and torrential rain. And as always, the countries least responsible are the ones that suffer first.”
More than 33 million people affected
More than 33 million people were affected by floods in Sindh and Balochistan, which is considered by many to be Pakistan’s biggest climate disaster.
Even today, months after the initial emergency, floodwaters have only partially receded and the disaster is far from over for some 8 million people forced to flee rising waters, leaving more than 1,700 people die.
Catastrophic damage
More than 2.2 million homes were destroyed along with 13% of total medical facilities, 4.4 million acres of crops, more than 8,000 km of roads and other critical infrastructure – including some 440 bridges. .
The cost of helping communities affected in every way imaginable by the unprecedented monsoon rains in Pakistan started last June,”will exceed 16 billion dollarsand much more will be needed in the long term,” he said.
Vulnerable children affected
Parallel to the conference in Geneva, the UN children’s fund UNICEF highlights the ongoing human cost of emergencies in Pakistan.
“Up to four million children still live near polluted and stagnant flood watersrisk their survival and well-being,” the UN agency said.
UNICEF went on to say cases of acute respiratory infections have “jumped” in flood-affected areas, while the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the same region has nearly doubled. double from July to December compared with 2021, causing some 1.5 million young people still need life-saving nutritionintervention.
UNICEF/UN0730552/Bashir
On November 3, 2022 in Jacobabad, Sindh Province, Pakistan, 15-year-old Sugra, whose home was destroyed in recent floods, was holding her brother, Fayaz.
Payout beyond the odds
Recalling the need to help developing countries like Pakistan become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, the UN chief stressed that the international banking system needs reform “to repair a fundamental mistake”.
He added: “Pakistan is dual victim of climate chaos and a morally bankrupt global financial system. That system routinely denies middle-income countries the debt relief and concessional financing needed to invest in disaster resilience. And so we need innovative ways for developing countries to access debt relief and concessional financing when they need it most.”
Alongside Mr. Guterres, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif explained why his country needs international solidarity more than ever.
“We need to help the 33 million people who have been deeply affected by floods back into their future,” he said. “Their families have to stand on their own two feet and they have to get back to life and earn a livelihood.”
UNICEF/Arsalan Butt
UNICEF Sindh Field Office Chief Prem Chand observes 11-year-old Rahman wearing a UNICEF-supplied jacket during a winter kit distribution in Mitho Babbar village, Dadu district, Sindh province.
‘Tomorrow, we can be people’
Representing the conference host Switzerland, Federal Councilor for Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis, argued that it was common sense to assist disaster-affected countries: “Today, it is you, Pakistan, need help. But tomorrow, it could be us, all of us. One thing is for sure: none of us are safe. We are all concerned about climate change, a global threat that requires a global response.”
Responding to a call for unity among nations, French President Emmanuel Macron joined the conference via video link to announce that €360 million had been pledged by France “to deal with the challenge of rebuilding resilience.” climate recovery and adaptation”.
However, the French president also noted that only 30% of the UN’s request for emergency funding had been granted, as soon as winter temperatures dropped.
Deep change
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner highlight the scale of the global threat posed by climate change and the relevance of the need for climate adaptation financing to developing countries:
“Look east, in Australia, unusual floods; looking west in California, extreme weather events, looking to Europe, and people are wondering what happened to the snow in the winter, We live in a time of profound change.”
Watch the joint press conference hosted by the UN Secretary-General and the Prime Minister of Pakistan about the conference, below:
