Islamabad, October 28, 2022 (PPI-OT): Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal says that recent devastating floods have inflicted a damage of over thirty billion dollars to the country. Sharing details of Post Disaster Needs Assessment Report launched in Islamabad on Friday, he said Pakistan needs sixteen billion dollars for reconstruction and rehabilitation.
The Minister said 1730 people have died and over 33 million have been affected by the floods in the country. He said Pakistan has suffered a triple tragedy which were struggling economy, climate disaster and human tragedy. He said sufferings of the people in flood hit areas are heart wrenching. Ahsan Iqbal said looming food crises and chilling winter are posing significant challenges for people in flood-affected areas.
He said along with the fast melting glaciers this year monsoon rain fall was about 400 to 700 percent above average in some parts have swamped the arid areas. The Minister said government has disbursed 286 million dollars among 2.7 million families in flood-affected areas. He said eighty percent of the greenhouse gas emissions are done by G20 countries. He said G20 countries will have to bear the expenses for climate adaptation, emergency reaction and rehabilitation.
He asked the rich nations to fulfill their commitment made at the UN climate conference in 2009 to contribute 100 billion dollars a year in climate related financing for the poor nations. The Minister said affluent nations must also grant major debt swaps to developing countries disproportionally hit by climate change to create fiscal space for developing their climate resistant infrastructure.
In her remarks, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said it is moral responsibility of the world to help Pakistan deal with the unprecedented climate disaster. She said the international community needs to fulfill its commitments which it had been making since 2009 regarding climate change.
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