As Pakistan struggles to cope with the impact of last summer’s devastating floods, international donors have pledged billions in aid at a UN conference in Geneva.
The catastrophe, which experts linked to climate change, killed more than 1,700 people and displaced some eight million others. UN chief António Guterres said the country will need long-term support.
«We must match the heroic response of the people of Pakistan with our own efforts and massive investments to strengthen their communities for the future. Rebuilding Pakistan in a resilient way will run in excess of $16bn and far more will be needed in the longer term,» the UN Secretary-General said.
Pakistan hopes that about half the required amount will come from the international community. French President Emmanuel Macron said his country was ready to play its part.
«In Pakistan, we have therefore decided to mobilise a total of €360mn for projects, which will be launched to address the challenge of resilient reconstruction and therefore of climate adaptation,» Macron said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who attended with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, called the floods «a climate disaster of monumental scale.»
The conference is being seen as a test of the willingness of wealthier countries to help poorer nations deal with the impact of climate-related disasters, a commitment that was agreed upon at the recent COP 27 summit in Egypt.
