Donors pledge more than $9 billion for flood recovery in Pakistan | flood news

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Pakistan says donors at an international conference in Geneva pledged more than $9 billion to help it rebuild in the wake of last year’s devastating floods.

Pakistan will host the event in Geneva on Monday with the United Nations as it seeks international assistance to cover about half of the total $16.3 billion recovery bill.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres opened the one-day conference, which was attended by officials from nearly 40 other countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions.

Unprecedented floods caused by melting glaciers and record monsoon rains last year affected more than 33 million Pakistanis, killing more than 1,700 people and driving some nine million more into poverty, according to the United Nations.

Thousands of people are still living in open areas, tents and makeshift homes in Sindh and Balochistan, the two hardest-hit provinces, with standing water still present in many areas.

Pakistani Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the final outcome was higher than the target set by the international community.

“In all, these commitments total over $9 billion, and from what we know so far, these are all additional commitments than what has already been made in terms of humanitarian assistance, et cetera, from both bilateral and multilateral partners,” she said. , adding that a number of delegations have also offered in-kind support.

We are racing against time

Earlier, Guterres praised Pakistan and its people for their response to “this epic tragedy with heroic humanity”.

“We must match the heroic response of the people of Pakistan with our own efforts and huge investments to strengthen their communities for the future,” he said.

“Pakistan is a double victim of the chaotic climate and the morally bankrupt global financial system,” the UN Secretary-General added. “No country deserves to bear what happened to Pakistan.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, right, and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at the summit in Geneva. [Denis Balibouse/Reuters]

Addressing the summit earlier Monday, Sharif called for a “new coalition of the willing” among the international community, “that can save lives and set them on the path to responsible global citizenship.”

“Today’s meeting is an effort to give my people another chance to get back on their feet,” he said, adding that his government needs at least $8 billion from external donors over the next three years to rebuild the country.

He said, “We’re racing against time.”

We are heading to Geneva today to co-host the International Conference on Resilient Pakistan with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He will take the opportunity to present the issue of flood victims to the world. I will also highlight the steps my government has taken for relief and rehabilitation. 1/3

— Shahbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 8, 2023

In a column for Britain’s Guardian newspaper on Friday, Sharif said Pakistan “simply cannot do it alone”.

“These flooded areas now look like a huge chain of permanent lakes, forever changing the terrain and the lives of the people who live there. No amount of pumps can remove this water in less than a year; and by July 2023, the worry is that these areas may flood.” once again.

According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is responsible for less than one percent of global emissions, but it remains among the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change.

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the summit via video message [Denis Balibouse/Reuters]Pakistan’s 4RF Plan

Islamabad says the Geneva conference is focused on two goals: the Flexible Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) strategy to secure international support, and finding a way to build long-term climate change resilience and adaptation in Pakistan. .

Khalil Hashmi, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Office at Geneva said: “The aim is to secure international support for the 4RF, which includes institutional, financial and implementation arrangements for post-flood recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The conference will help us forge long-term partnerships to strengthen Pakistan’s resilience Climate change “.

A general view of the submerged houses in Jaffarabad, in Pakistan’s Balochistan province [File: Reuters]

Last year, Pakistan prepared a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report with the help of the United Nations and other global bodies, which estimated the country needed $16.3 billion to rebuild its economy and infrastructure and called for global help.

In December, the United Nations said that despite an appeal for $816 million in urgent funds to Pakistan, it had received only $262 million – just 32 percent of the target amount.

The floods came amid an acute economic crisis in Pakistan, which last month saw its foreign reserves deplete to less than $6 billion, enough to cover nearly a month’s worth of imports.

Pakistan is also seeking immediate financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund as well as from friendly countries like Saudi Arabia and China to support its ailing economy and prevent defaults.

Ali Taqeer Sheikh, an Islamabad-based climate change analyst, told Al Jazeera he did not expect major commitments from countries and other agencies at the Geneva conference.

“I don’t think anyone will give an open checkbook to Pakistan, however, with the number of people in attendance, I am sure they will make some pledge and show some measure,” he said.

“If Pakistan can garner more than $1 billion in promises from this conference, it can be termed as a short-term success.”

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