UN Chief Guterres Reaffirms Support To Post-Flood Rebuilding In Pakistan

UN Chief Antonio Guterres has reiterated his full support and cooperation to Pakistan for the ongoing humanitarian relief work and long-term recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the flood affected areas, it emerged on Friday.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called on UN Secretary-General Guterres in New York on Friday.

"Met today with @antonioguterres UNSG @UN & thanked him for massive support to Pakistan after devastating floods & for co-hosting Int. Conf. on Climate Resilient Pakistan in Geneva on 09 January 2023. Appreciate the kind words on our convening of sp. Ministerial Conf. of G-77 & China," he said in a tweet.

Bilawal arrived in New York on Dec.13 on a seven-day visit for talks with world leaders at the UN headquarters and with senior US officials in Washington.

The state-run Radio Pakistan reported that Guterres said Pakistan's "resilient reconstruction and success of the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan to be held in Geneva on the 9th of next month is his top priority".

According to a report by Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, floods triggered by record rains in three decades accompanied by the melting of glaciers killed over 1,200 people and rendered millions of others without food and shelter.

Millions of people hit by the unprecedented floods this summer are still waiting for rehabilitation, even facing shortages of food and other essential supplies amidst harsh winter, officials said.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday with UN Humanitarian Coordinator Julien Harneis, country director for the World Food Programme Chris Kaye warned that recovery funds meant for the flood-hit people could run out by the middle of next month.

Kaye also said that until new funds were provided by the international community, there was “a very serious crisis ahead of us as we go into 2023.” So far, the UN has only received a third of the $816 million in emergency aid it sought in October this year which was clearly insufficient as the number of people in need of critical food assistance is likely to go up from 4 million to over 5 million.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal conveyed his appreciation to the Secretary-General for his call for massive support to Pakistan in the wake of the devastating floods, and for co-hosting the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan.

He sought Guterres' continued cooperation to secure the participation of key donors, development institutions and the private sector in the pledging conference and to encourage them to support Pakistan’s comprehensive Plan and specific project proposals.

The UN chief also appreciated Bilawal's timely initiative to convene a special ministerial conference of the G-77 and China to build a unified and comprehensive strategy to overcome immediate challenges facing the developing countries.

In September, Guterres visited several areas of Pakistan and called for "massive" international support for the flood-ravaged country.