ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday he had utilized sideline meetings of the United Nations General Assembly to put the spotlight on recent floods in Pakistan that have killed nearly 1,600 people, with France announcing it would hold an international conference to raise funds.
An intense and long monsoon dumped around three times as much rain on Pakistan than on average in recent weeks, causing major flooding that killed 1,559 people, including 551 children and 318 women, according to the national disaster management agency.
“In my interactions with the world leaders on the sidelines of #UNGA Session, I apprised them of the flood disaster & highlighted the need for a collective action to deal with climate change,” Sharif said on Twitter.
Sharif on Tuesday met UN General Secretary António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of Spain Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon, Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi.
A joint press release from the Pakistani and French sides said the two nations had agreed to join hands for the revival of the Pakistani economy and reconstruction in the wake of floods.
“Besides exchange of views on enhancement of bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed on mobilizing international support for Pakistan to help recover and rebuild its economy on a sustainable footing in the aftermath of the recent devastating floods in Pakistan related to climate change,” the statement said.
“In order to gather the relevant International Financial partners and the development partners, France will host an international conference before the end of the year aiming at contributing to the rehabilitation and the reconstruction of flood affected areas of Pakistan and, with the help of climate-resilient reconstruction related financing, to accelerate transition to renewable energy.”
Record monsoon rains and glacial melt in northern Pakistan triggered the flooding that has impacted nearly 33 million people in the South Asian nation of 220 million, sweeping away homes, crops, bridges, roads and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion. Scientists say the disaster was exacerbated by climate change.
The government says GDP growth will likely drop to 3 percent from a previous estimate of 5 percent for the 2022-23 financial year.
In what UNICEF described as a situation “beyond bleak,” it said an estimated 16 million children have been impacted by the floods, and at least 3.4 million girls and boys remain in need of immediate, lifesaving support.
