ISLAMABAD: Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres is arriving in Pakistan in on Sept 9 on a two-day official visit after historic deadly flooding to see “the areas most impacted by this unprecedented climate catastrophe.
A spokesperson of the United Nations Stephane Dujarric said, “Guterres is visiting Islamabad on 9th of September for two days.”
The UN secretary-general will visit flood-hit areas of Pakistan, meet the survivors and influence the international donors to extend every support to needy people.
On August 30, the United Nations launched a flash appeal to raise $160 million to help Pakistan cope with catastrophic floods. In his video message, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Pakistan was awash in suffering.
“The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids — the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding.”
The UN chief noted that over 1,000 have been killed so far in what he called a “climate catastrophe.”
His statement came as Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the UN jointly launched “2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan (FRP)” simultaneously in Islamabad and Geneva on Tuesday, urging the international community to support the government of Pakistan in scaling up and expanding its relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas battered by historic monsoon deluge.
Speaking at the ceremony, Foreign Minister Bilawal said, “Pakistan needs the international community’s prompt and immediate support in stepping up and expanding its efforts to rebuild and reconstruct the devastated areas and other infrastructure.”
File photo of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and other dignitaries
Bilawal further stated that the international community must share the responsibility of supporting those countries that had been facing the threats of global warming and climate change.
The foreign minister while explaining the magnitude of the disaster caused by floods said the damages during the recent calamity exceeded the damages caused during the 2010 floods.
