UN chief to arrive in flood-ravaged Pakistan next week on solidarity visit

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to express solidarity and stand with the people of Pakistan and the government at a time when one-third of the country has been completely submerged by unprecedented floods triggered by “above-normal” monsoon rains and the overall death toll has surpassed 1,100 mark, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has decided to visit the flood-affected areas in the country.

Addressing a press briefing in New York, the UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general will go to the areas most impacted by the unprecedented climate catastrophe.

He will also meet with displaced families.

Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad while welcoming the visit has said it will contribute in a big way to our collective effort to highlight the impact of this disaster.

He said this visit by UNSG to further mobilize international assistance.

UN launches $160m flash appeal for flood victims

A day earlier, the UN jointly launched a flash appeal for $160 million to help Pakistan cope with the flood devastation that has inflicted a $10bn loss on the country’s economy.

Pakistan and the UN simultaneously launched the "2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan" in Islamabad and Geneva. The FRP will complement the government’s overall humanitarian response to the recent floods caused by unprecedented rains.

In a video message for the launch of the appeal, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “Pakistan is awash in suffering.”

He maintained that the people in Pakistan were facing a monsoon on steroids — the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding.