ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will co-chair a United Nations (UN) conference on January 9 to gather humanitarian aid after devastating floods from earlier this year left over 1,700 dead and damaged critical infrastructure in the country.
Unusually heavy monsoon rains in mid-June triggered flash floods across the country. At one point in time, one-third of the country was under floodwater while a large number of crops were swept away by the floods.
Pakistan estimates damages from the floods at over $30 billion. Pakistan has appealed to the international community for aid to deal with losses incurred from the floods.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired an Inter-Ministerial meeting on Donors Conference at the Finance Division to discuss the plan for the meeting. Participants of the meeting discussed the upcoming conference, titled the 'International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan' which would be held on January 9, 2023, at Geneva.
"The conference co-hosted by the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations aims to garner international support for the people and Government of Pakistan to build back Climate resilient Pakistan after the devastating floods of 2022," Pakistan's Finance Division said in a statement.
The finance ministry said the meeting would also aim to secure international humanitarian support for reconstruction and rehabilitation arrangements for post-flood recovery.
In his briefing, the secretary of Pakistan's foreign ministry said heads of states of various countries, representatives of UN agencies and leaders from the private sector, civil society, and international development and financial institutions will participate in the conference.
"Prime Minister of Pakistan and the UN Secretary General will speak at the high- level opening segment," the finance division said.
It added that attendees of the meeting agreed to provide full support to make the conference successful.
