Last Update: January 03, 2023, 20:56 IST
The disaster killed 1,739 people and affected 33 million Pakistanis. At one point, one-third of the country’s area was under water. (Image: Reuters)
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday sought to draw attention to the plight of homeless survivors, many of whom are now forced to live in the open in the harsh winter weather
Pakistan’s foreign minister issued an emotional appeal on Tuesday ahead of a major conference next week, urging the international community to donate money generously for the country’s flood victims.
Monday’s gathering in Geneva – organized jointly by the United Nations and Pakistan – aims to raise funds for victims of last summer’s unprecedented floods, which experts blame partly on climate change. The disaster killed 1,739 people and affected 33 million Pakistanis. At one point, one-third of the country’s area was under water.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday sought to draw attention to the plight of homeless survivors, many of whom are now forced to live in the open amid the harsh winter weather. His goal, he said, is for the world not to forget the victims of the floods.
The United Nations recently warned that funds raised so far for Pakistan’s flood victims would run out after January 15 as the world body has so far received only a third of the $816 million in emergency aid it pledged last October. I was asked for food, medicines and other supplies. For the survivors.
“Innocent Pakistanis were not at fault, but they paid a heavy price for the climate-induced floods,” Bhutto-Zardari said in televised remarks from Badin, one of the worst flood-hit areas in southern Sindh province.
He said that Pakistan has a negligible role in global warming, but is still vulnerable to climate-induced catastrophes. Experts say Pakistan emits less than 1% of the heat-trapping carbon dioxide.
Even before the onset of heavy monsoon rains in mid-June, cash-strapped Pakistan was facing a severe financial crisis. Experts say the floods have caused up to $40 billion in damage and that without international aid, Pakistan will not be able to rebuild destroyed homes and infrastructure.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)