Climate change: World community urged to make damage fund operational

PESHAWAR: People across the country, especially those affected by the devastating floods, have urged the international community to take immediate steps for making the initiative of damage fund operational for their well-being.

The demand has been made in the wake of the second international meeting on finance mechanism to address loss and damages of climate change, which is underway in Germany,Flood victims including young students, heart patients, pregnant mothers, smallholder farmers and local merchants have urged the international community to ensure early implementation of loss and damages fund of climate change for reducing their ordeal caused by catastrophic floods in the country.

Speaking in a documentary prepared on the urgency of international finances for damages of climate change by Resilient Future International and Sujag Sansaar Organization, the victims of disaster said they cannot afford any delay due to negotiation on climate change and the initiative of loss and damage funds should be implemented at the earliest.

“The documentary titled ‘Voices for Climate Justice: Loss and Damage Fund Now ‘ is launched to remind the participants of the Bonn meeting and the wider world about the urgency of finances for the loss and damage of climate change,” said Aftab Alam Khan. He said the Loss and Damage Fund was a welcome step at COP27 but its success would depend on how soon the fund becomes operational and its finances reach the victims of climate change.

The finance mechanism, called the Loss and Damage Fund, was a major outcome of the last international UN Conference on Climate Change (COP27) at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt held from November 6 to 18, 2022.

It has already taken 31 years for this demand to find a place in the UN climate negotiations as the climate vulnerable countries have been demanding the Loss and Damage Fund since 1991, he added.

Thousands of Pakistan flood victims are still struggling to rehabilitate their lives, livelihoods and every passing day increases their agonies, he observed.Delay in loss and damage funds would mean more children losing the prospect of a healthy future, out of school girls are facing child marriages, heavily indebted people would become slaves of money lenders and such a situation would plunge their generations into catastrophes, Aftab said.

These people demand a life of dignity but the window of opportunity is closing fast every day. The international community should realise the reality that climate justice must not be delayed because if it is delayed, justice is denied.