Cope with climate-induced floods
\n United Nations
\nGovernment of Pakistan took \u201cswift and effective\u201d action to deal with the unprecedented floods that have caused \u2018colossal\u2019 destruction, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Friday, as he called for generous international support during the next phases of rehabilitation and reconstruction. Addressing a press conference as he wrapped up his engagements at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, he called for \u201cclimate justice\u201d for Pakistan, as this disaster has clearly been caused by climate change and global warming.
\n\u201cThis is a tragedy of monumental proportions,\u201d the foreign minister told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York. Extreme heat this summer melted many of Pakistan\u2019s glaciers, with early flood outbreaks, and the heat intensified precipitation led to above-average rains. Pakistan, he said, estimated that the total flood damage was over $30 billion, 10% of its gross domestic product (GDP), with one-third of the country under water.
\nOver fifteen hundred people were killed and thousands injured. Thirty-three million have been affected; 6 million are destitute. Over a million homes, 7000 kilometers of roads, 300 bridges and 5 million acres of crops\/orchids were destroyed.
\nWith a minuscule contribution of 0.8% to the Global Green House Gas (GHG), Pakistan, for many years, is being listed among the top 10 countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
\nAt the same time, FM Bilawal said Pakistan was working on plans for rehabilitation once the flood waters recede, and would rebuild the lost infrastructure in a much better way so that they could withstand future natural calamities.
\nThe August 30 joint UN-Pakistan Flash Appeal of $160 million was being upgraded, and when the damage estimates are completed, a donors conference will be held to raise funds for rehabilitation and reconstructions in the devastated areas, he said.
\nReplying to a series of questions, the foreign minister said Pakistan believes that engagement with the Afghan Interim Government was essential to promote the international community\u2019s aims to promote human rights, including women\u2019s rights, political inclusivity and effective and comprehensive action against the terrorist organizations in Afghanistan.
\nPakistan, he added, stands for women\u2019s right to education.
\nFM Bilawal criticized India\u2019s unilateral and illegal measures of 5 August 2019 to annex Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and to impose, what the Indian government has ominously called, a \u201cFinal Solution\u201d, saying New Delhi had removed the political space for a peaceful and negotiated solution that could be acceptable to all parties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cope with climate-induced floods United Nations Government of Pakistan took \u201cswift and effective\u201d action to deal with the unprecedented floods that have caused \u2018colossal\u2019 destruction, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Friday, as he called for generous international support during the next phases of rehabilitation and reconstruction. Addressing a press conference as he wrapped up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-285457","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n