Pakistan, UN launch revised flash appeal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Nations jointly launched Tuesday a flash appeal in Geneva for US$816 million, up from $160 million, on the basis of updated on-ground need assessment of the flood situation in the country.

While stressing upon immediate global help, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, who was present in Geneva, said that Pakistan could not afford to spend more on recovering from devastating climate-induced floods. She told the conference that the world was facing an accelerated global warming issue. “It is becoming clear to all that this is the climate event of the century.”

“The scale of the catastrophe is more than existential. We are gathered here to reboot your compassion simply because the numbers are too staggering to serve any country alone,” she maintained.

Minister Sherry pointed out that it was a real race against time for Pakistan. “Winter is fast approaching, people are left at the mercy of open skies, about 7.9m are still scrambling for dry land.”

Speaking on the occasion, Director General World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the meeting that Pakistan was on the verge of a public health disaster. Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said the people of Pakistan were the victims of global inaction to tackle issues emanating from climate changes.

The UN official stressed the need for supply of shelters and other essential household items to the families affected by floods in Pakistan.Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar called on the need for comprehensive future-based strategy to equip the people in Pakistan to survive devastation of floods. She was speaking through a video link at the Foreign Office in an event in both Islamabad and Geneva. She said it was the collective responsibility of the world to provide assistance to the people badly affected by the country’s massive flash floods.

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, said the Foreign Office. Ms 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. “As humans, it was a moral obligation upon all to come together to address the needs of people in distress,” she added.

Julien Harneis, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, said: “There will be an increase in child morbidity and it will be pretty terrible unless we act rapidly to support the government in increasing the provision of health, nutrition and water and sanitation services across the affected areas”.

The revised appeal was made for Pakistan on the basis of update on ground need assessment of the flood situation in the country. According to the latest data and estimates, nearly 1,700 people had been killed in the floods triggered by heavy monsoon downpour. Millions had been displaced while the UN also raised alarm on the rise of water-borne diseases in the flood-hit population.

The Government of Pakistan estimated the cost of the damage at $30 billion. Both the government and the UN have viewed the climate change as the main reason behind the natural catastrophe.

The Foreign Office, earlier in a press statement, said the Floods Response Plan had been prepared in close coordination between the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations and focuses on providing necessary assistance to the vulnerable people affected by the unprecedented floods. It complemented the government’s overall response to the recent climate-induced floods in Pakistan.