In preparation for the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan next week in Geneva, the United Nations and Pakistani officials are appealing for global solidarity to help repair and reconstruct flood-ravaged Pakistan.
Co-hosts, Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will kick off the meeting on Monday. Delegates from almost 40 countries will participate, including many heads of state, leaders from financial institutions, and representatives from international development groups.
The conference intends to rally international support for Pakistan’s people and government as they rebuild in a resilient manner following last year’s devastating floods.
Between June and August, Pakistan saw record-breaking monsoon rainfall, resulting in devastating flooding that affected more than 33 million people. Over 1,700 people were killed, over 2 million were displaced, crops were ruined, and critical infrastructure was destroyed or damaged.
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According to Knut Ostby, the United Nations Development Program’s resident representative in Pakistan, the climate disaster was caused by global climate change. He stated that Pakistan’s flood disaster is a global issue and must be treated as such.
“What is unique about this conference is that it is mobilizing support for the immediate response to the disaster,” Ostby said. “There are many conferences that do this. … But it also comes at a time when the world is realizing that this is a global issue. It has to be tackled in global solidarity.”
Quoting Pakistan’s climate minister, Ostby said that what happens in Pakistan does not stay in Pakistan. He said that the world must take a unified approach to determine a solution.
This story was adapted from VOA.
