ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday he expected “civilized societies” to help flood-affected people in Pakistan ahead of an international conference in Geneva which he plans to co-host with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres next week.
According to a statement released by the foreign office, the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan will serve as a platform to marshal international support for the survivors of floods and help the government “build back better.”
Pakistan witnessed unusually heavy monsoon rains last year that triggered flash floods, killing over 1,700 people and displacing millions of others. According to some estimates, the country suffered over $30 billion of losses at a time when it is struggling to stabilize its economy.
Addressing a gathering in Balochistan, the prime minister said he was going to Geneva since there was a lot of rehabilitation work that needed to be done.
“There are thousands of people still waiting for aid under the open sky,” he continued. “We are going to Geneva and I have a hope that civilized societies, who feel for humanity, will render a helping hand.”
Sharif said the government was trying to do its best to help the people who had lost their houses and farmlands.
“When I think about it, I cannot sleep,” he added. “One million houses have been washed away in floods. We have to compensate people and we will do it. My government and I will not rest until we get the job done.”
Discussing Pakistan’s plan for the conference, the foreign office said the government wanted to present “the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) … and seek international support and long-term partnerships for its implementation.”
“The 4RF document outlines a prioritized and sequential Plan, defined at the Federal and Provincial levels, and includes the financial mechanism and institutional arrangements for its execution in an open, transparent and collaborative manner,” it added.
The statement said the prime minister would outline his vision for rehabilitating flood-affected people at the event which was also expected to be attended by heads of states and governments, ministers and high-level representatives of international financial institutions.
The prime minister and the UN secretary general will also hold a joint press stakeout, it added.
