ISLAMABAD: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday passed a resolution to express solidarity with flood-battered Pakistan and called on the international community to increase aid to the South Asian country.
Pakistan and the United Nations this week jointly launched a humanitarian appeal of $816 million, revising it up five-fold from $160 million, as water-borne diseases and fear of growing hunger pose new dangers after weeks of unprecedented flooding in Pakistan that has left 33 million people struggling to survive.
Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said the UNGA unanimously adopted Resolution 77/1 which will “strengthen the coordination of @UN.”
“The food situation in the flood-affected parts of the country [Pakistan] is already an undeclared emergency. This is a tragedy of epic proportions,” Korosi said in his address on Friday.
“Without immediate interventions, its consequences will take us down a path of permanent emergency.”
Korosi said time was of the essence and the price the world was paying for delays rose each day. “The times are hard, but I am confident that we can rebuild better. And to do that, we must rebuild together,” he added.
The deluges have killed at least 1,700 people, affected 33 million, washed away crops and caused losses worth an estimated $30 billion since August.
According to official figures, 632 of the 1,700 killed so far in the floods have been children. In the aftermath, as flood waters begin to recede, which officials say may take two to six months, the regions have become infested with diseases including malaria, dengue fever, diarrhea and skin problems.
On Saturday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Pakistan was on the verge of a public health disaster and urged the world to support the South Asian nation.
Guterres, who saw some of the damages for himself during a visit to Pakistan last month, reminded the UNGA of the losses and the scale of the destruction.
“Pakistan is on the verge of a public health disaster & severe hunger is spiking. While the rains may have ceased, the effects of the floods will linger for years to come,” Guterres said in a tweet, urging donors and relevant organizations to support rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
“Massive needs require massive support. We are working with the Government of Pakistan to convene a pledging conference to bring together donors at the highest level to provide concrete support for rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts,” he said in his remarks to the General Assembly on Friday.
