Cash-strapped Pakistan receives international aid of over USD 8 billion for flood disaster relief

Image credit: IANS

Islamabad: Cash-strapped Pakistan has once again managed to mobilise international assistance for disaster relief efforts to help mitigate the impact of last year`s devastating floods, Geo-politik reported. On Monday, Pakistan received commitments worth more than USD 8 billion as part of the UN conference on climate to help the country recover from damage incurred in the floods in 2022. According to the Geo-politik, Pakistan, which has severely mismanaged its economy, has now used the pretext of flood devastation and consequent humanitarian crisis to get international assistance.

"It had come to a default-like situation in August 2022, even when the impact of flood was moderate. By the end of the year it again came to a similar situation, although this time it had a pretext, i.e., huge flood devastation to seek international assistance commitments," the report added.

On Tuesday, Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister said that the Geneva conference was a big success for the country. "We thank the global and national media for highlighting the causes of humanity and climate change", she was quoted as saying by Pakistan`s Daily Times newspaper.

The International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan, co-hosted by the UN brought together Governments, leaders from the public and private sectors and civil society to secure international support for Pakistan after the devastating floods of 2022.

Addressing the Geneva moot, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sought "massive investments" for Pakistan to help it recover from damage caused by devastating floods. Guterres made this appeal in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as the south Asian country continues to reel from the impact of disastrous floods that submerged more than one-third of the country.

"The epic floods were nothing short of a monsoon on steroids - as I mentioned in my visit - submerging one-third of the country, three times the area of my own country, Portugal," the UN chief said at the International Conference on a Climate Resilient Pakistan.

"A terrifying wall of water killed more than 1,700 people, injured thousands more, and affected a total of more than 33 million, displacing 8 million people. It swept over roads, ruined millions of acres of agricultural land, and damaged or destroyed 2 million homes. And it pushed back 9 million people to the brink of poverty," he added.