UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday revealed that the continued flooding had cost Pakistan $30 billion of loss. He visited Pakistan to mobilize help for many people affected by devastating monsoon floods.
Nearly 1,400 people have died in the flooding. Wiping out crops and destroying homes, businesses, roads, and bridges.
Guterres said he hoped his visit would attract the attention of international help. He said Pakistan had always displayed kindness to others. Pakistan was hosting many refugees for decades from neighboring Afghanistan at an enormous cost.
He said that “Insanity” can be the only word for the lack of international consideration for the rapid change in the climate.
This insanity can be termed collective suicide. Guterres told a press conference in the federal capital, lamenting the shortage of attention the world gave to climate change. He particularly pointed toward the industrialized nations.
The United Nations Chief was talking with PM Shahbaz Sharif at the NFRC Center. A complete briefing was provided to Mr. Guterres about the damages and relief and rescue efforts by state and private organizations.
Pakistan is liable for less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As per the list compiled by the NGO Germanwatch of countries most vulnerable to extreme weather caused by climate change.
UN Chief has plans to visit flood-hit areas of southern Pakistan on Saturday. He will also see Mohenjo Daro, a centuries-old UNESCO-designated world heritage site threatened by the deluge.
He urged the international community to increase “massive support” to a country that had little contribution to the emissions but bore the brunt of climate change.
As many as 33 million people were suffering from natural disasters. People losing not just homes but their livelihoods too.
During the year 2010, Pakistan faced floods that were given the name “super floods”. At that time the total losses were estimated to be $10B. This time the flood losses seem to have surpassed that figure.
While the government’s revised estimate suggested the direct and indirect losses might be in the range of $20 billion, the UN Secretary-General at a press conference with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif came up with a figure of a whopping $30 billion.
The UN SG said at the news conference that he want to mention a few words to the international community. Pakistan needs massive support to respond to this crisis that has a cost, consistent with some estimates I have heard today, about $30 billion and counting,”
Guterres insisted that extending support to Pakistan wouldn’t just be expressing solidarity but doing justice to a country that was the frontline state of the negative fallout of climate change.
He said that humanity has declared a war on nature and nature has struck back. But nature is blind it’s not striking back on those who contributed more to the war on nature,”