UN chief arrives in flood-hit Pakistan, appeals for international support

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday appealed to the world to help Pakistan which is reeling from devastating floods that have killed thousands and affected more than 33 million people.

Secretary-General Guterres arrived in Pakistan on Friday for a 2-day solidarity visit amidst the catastrophic situation caused by floods in Pakistan.

The visit comes less than two weeks after he appealed for USD 160 million in emergency funding to help those affected by unprecedented rains and floods that have killed nearly 1,350 people in the country and inundated about a third of Pakistan since early June.

The Flash Appeal for USD 160 million to support the response, led by the Government of Pakistan, will provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education, protection and health support.

I have arrived in Pakistan to express my deep solidarity with the Pakistani people after the devastating floods here, he tweeted after his arrival in the country.

I appeal for massive support from the international community as Pakistan responds to this climate catastrophe. Guterres tweeted.

Guterres was received on his arrival by Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and he will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He will also visit the National Flood Response and Coordination Centre (NFRCC), have a joint presser with the Prime Minister, and hold talks with the foreign minister followed by a joint press stakeout at the Foreign Office, besides other engagements, all related to the floods response, according to Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar.

Guterres will also visit areas most affected by flooding, including Balochistan and Sindh, where he will meet first responders and interact with people displaced by the floods.

Huge areas of the country are inundated and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes. The government says more than 33 million people have been affected by the floods.

The Pakistani government, Iftikhar said, wanted to utilise the visit to promote global awareness about the massive challenge of reconstruction and rehabilitation facing the country.

In this context, the secretary general will also raise awareness about the linkages of such mega-disasters with the frightening impact of climate change, he further said.

The visit comes as Pakistan battles the floods and their aftermath. Officials estimated more than 10 billion dollars of economic losses.

According to the WHO, over 1,460 health centres have been damaged due to floods across the country, of which 432 have been fully wrecked, mostly in Sindh.

The Pakistan cabinet has enhanced the cumulative compensation amount for flood-affected families under the Benazir Income Support Programme from Rs 28 billion to Rs 70 billion, while the UN has issued a flash appeal for USD 160 million to tackle the flood disaster.