Senior UN official slams inadequate global support for Pakistan's climate efforts
ISLAMABAD: United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Yahya criticized the lack of global support for Pakistan in combating climate change this week, urging 'stronger solidarity' with the South Asian nation to aid in the reconstruction of homes following the floods over two years ago.
In 2022, floods inundated one-third of Pakistan especially affecting the southeastern Sindh and southwestern Balochistan provinces, impacting 33 million people, causing 1,739 deaths and resulting in $14.9 billion (Rs4.1 trillion) in damage and $15.2 billion (Rs4.2 trillion) in economic losses, according to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority.
The Global Climate Risk Index says Pakistan is among the countries most at risk from climate change. Extreme weather events like floods, droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms and heatwaves have been occurring more frequently and with greater intensity across Pakistan in recent years.
'One other things we are concerned about is the lack of stronger solidarity for Pakistan around the reconstruction after the 2022 floods,' Yahya told Arab News on the sidelines of the Breathe Pakistan Climate Conference in Islamabad on Friday.
He noted this was despite the fact that 'Pakistan contributes even less than one percent of global emission and is in the top five countries impacted by climate change.'
Yahya described it as 'unjust' for Pakistan to be asked to take loans for rebuilding homes destroyed in floods and mitigating a crisis caused by other countries, noting that 20 countries were responsible for 80 percent of global emissions.
According to the UN, the 20 countries contributing to the global greenhouse gas emissions include China, the United States, India, Russia, Japan, Germany and Iran etc.
'We obviously welcome the loans Pakistan has received but Pakistan should not be using or taking loans to rebuild things that it had very little to do with and that we think is not just,' he added.
The UN official maintained the world body consistently urged polluting countries, which have contributed to the climate change disaster, to do more and show solidarity and support to the countries bearing the brunt of the climate change impact.
International donors in January 2023 committed over $9 billion (Rs2.5 trillion) to help Pakistan recover from ruinous floods a year earlier, exceeding its external financing goals.
Officials from some 40 countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions gathered at a meeting in Geneva as Islamabad sought funds to cover around half of a recovery bill amounting to $16.3 billion (Rs 4.5 trillion).
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called for a grants-based and flexible financial assistance for climate resilience for developing nations like Pakistan this week.
He told the Breathe Pakistan Climate Conference that without global empathy and support, 'the path to climate adaptation and green transformation will remain elusive.'
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