Pakistan says donors at an international conference in Geneva have pledged more than $9 billion to help it rebuild after last year devastating floods.
Pakistan is hosting the event in Geneva on Monday with the United Nations as it seeks international aid to cover around half of a total recovery bill of $16.3 billion.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres kicked off the day-long conference, which was attended by officials from nearly 40 other countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions.
Unprecedented flooding caused by melting glaciers and record monsoon rains last year affected more than 33 million Pakistanis, killing more than 1,700 people and plunging about nine million others into poverty, according to the UN.
Thousands of people are still living in open areas, tents and makeshift homes in Sindh and Balochistan, the two worst affected provinces, with backwater still present in many areas.
Pakistani Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the final tally was above the international community’s target.
“Taken together, these pledges total over $9 billion and from what we know so far, these are all additional pledges to what has already been given in terms of humanitarian assistance, etc., from bilateral and multilateral partners,” she said. ., adding that a number of delegations had also offered in-kind support.
“We are racing against time”
Earlier, Guterres praised Pakistan and its people for responding to “this epic tragedy with heroic humanity”.
“We must match the heroic response of the Pakistani people with our own efforts and massive investments to strengthen their communities for the future,” he said.
“Pakistan is a double victim of climate chaos and a morally bankrupt global financial system,” the UN chief added. “No country deserves to go through what happened to Pakistan.”
Addressing the summit earlier on Monday, Sharif called for a “new coalition of the willing” within the international community, “a coalition that can save lives and put them on the path to responsible global citizenship.”
“Today’s meeting is an attempt to give my people another chance to get back on their feet,” he said, adding that his government needed at least $8 billion from outside donors. over the next three years to rebuild the country.
“We are in a race against time,” he said.
Depart for Geneva today to co-host the International Conference on a Resilient Pakistan with the UN Secretary General. Will take the opportunity to present the case of the victims to the world. I will also shed light on the measures taken by my government for relief and rehabilitation. 1/3
– Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 8, 2023
In a column in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper on Friday, Sharif said Pakistan “simply cannot do this alone”.
These flooded areas now look like a huge series of permanent lakes, forever transforming the land and the lives of the people who live there. No amount of pumps can evacuate this water in less than a year; and by July 2023 it is feared that these areas will be flooded again,” he wrote.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is responsible for less than one percent of global emissions, but it remains among the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Pakistan’s 4RF plan
Islamabad says the Geneva conference is focusing on two objectives: the “Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (4RF) Framework” strategy to garner international support and find a way to build long-term climate resilience and the adaptation to climate change in Pakistan. .
Khalil Hashmi, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Office in Geneva, said: “The objective is to secure international support for the 4RF, which includes institutional, financial and implementation arrangements for recovery, flood rehabilitation and reconstruction. The conference will help us forge long-term partnerships to build Pakistan’s resilience and adaptation to climate change.
Last year, Pakistan prepared a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report with the help of the UN and other global bodies, which estimated that the country needed 16.3 billion dollars to rebuild its economy and infrastructure and called for global assistance.
In December, the UN said that despite an urgent appeal for $816 million for Pakistan, it had only received $262 million, barely 32% of the targeted amount.
The floods came amid a severe economic crisis in Pakistan, which last month saw its foreign exchange reserves depleted to less than $6 billion, enough to cover roughly a month’s worth of imports.
Pakistan is also seeking immediate financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund as well as friendly countries such as Saudi Arabia and China to shore up its faltering economy and avoid a default.
Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, an Islamabad-based climate change analyst, told Al Jazeera he did not expect substantial commitments from other nations and agencies at the Geneva conference.
“I don’t think anyone will offer an open checkbook to Pakistan, however, with the number of people present, I’m sure they will make promises and show action,” he said.
“If Pakistan manages to collect pledges of more than $1 billion from this conference, it can be called a short-term success.”
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