GENEVA: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Monday said that considering ‘the gigantic task of resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction of 33 million flood affected people’, they were looking towards the global support to generate $8 billion to meet the impending challenge.
Addressing a joint press stakeout with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the prime minister expressed the confidence that they would be able to generate close to about $8 billion dollars domestically and also looking towards the international community to contribute with an equal amount to support these measures.
He said in today’s “Resilient Pakistan” conference, they, in consultations with the friendly countries and global partners, had worked out a comprehensive framework over Pakistan’s resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts with a robust financial mechanism.
Elaborating the large-scale devastation caused by the floods, the prime minister said it had crippled Pakistan’s economy and they with meagre resources could not cope with such a gigantic challenge.
The prime minister said that he had never witnessed such a destruction in his lifetime. About 33 million people were displaced, with 2 million houses were completely or impartially destroyed. The country’s economy suffered to the tune of $30 billon.
The prime minister thanked the UN, UNDP, World Bank and other financial institutions and friendly countries for their support and assistance to the flood victims.
In his remarks, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the world community to massively invest in building climate resilient infrastructure in Pakistan.
He said Pakistan should also be provided access to technology and knowledge to withstand the future disasters. He expressed the confidence that the Geneva conference will be the beginning of that massive investment.
The UN Secretary General said the people of Pakistan has always demonstrated resilience and generosity from enduring the national disasters and terrorism to hosting millions of Afghan refugees.
He said this resilience and generosity needs to be matched by the international community.
The UN Secretary General renewed his call to the global leaders and multilateral development banks to create ways for developing countries to access debt relief and concessional financing when they needed the most.
Antonio Guterres said it is time for meaningful climate action.
He said the decisions taken at the climate summit in Sharm al Sheikh, Egypt must be implemented and that the developed countries must deliver on their commitments.
