Pakistan, UN jointly launch fresh $816m flash appeal for flood victims

Pakistan and the United Nations  jointly launched Tuesday afternoon a flash appeal in Geneva  for US$816 million on the basis of updated on-ground need assessment of the flood situation in the country.

A revised Flood Response Plan, prepared in close coordination between the government of Pakistan and the UN, was shared at the event by Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman.

The plan focuses on providing necessary assistance to the vulnerable people affected by the unprecedented floods.

Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman is attending the event in person in Geneva, whereas Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Economic Affairs Ayaz Sadiq, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar are participating virtually from Islamabad.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths and Director General World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus are representing the UN, along with Resident Coordinator in Pakistan Julien Harneis.

The meeting is being attended by UN member states as well as various UN agencies and humanitarian organisations working in the area of disaster relief.

Khar calls for climate change ‘survival plans’ 

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar called on the need for comprehensive plans to equip the people in Pakistan to survive the disaster of floods and also to help them cope with future impacts of climate change.

In her virtual address from Islamabad, she said it was the collective responsibility of Pakistan and the world to provide assistance to the people affected by the country’s massive flash floods.

Khar said as humans, it was a moral obligation upon all to come together to address the needs of people in distress.

She mentioned the ‘resilience and endurance’ of the people in the flood-hit areas and said that efforts needed to be converged on their rehabilitation.

With additional input from APP