NEW YORK (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the need for continued support from the international community, not only in the immediate recovery and relief efforts, but also during the subsequent reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.
The prime minister, in a meeting with US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate John Kerry, conveyed gratitude for immediate US assistance in the wake of the devastating floods in Pakistan. The meeting was held on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) here. Noting that “the devastating floods have made Pakistan ground zero of climate change”, the prime minister appreciated John Kerry’s personal leadership in raising awareness and seeking solutions to the climate change crisis.
He acknowledged the important role being played by the Biden Administration to address climate change. The prime minister stressed that Pakistan contributed less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas emissions; yet it was among the ten most vulnerable countries to climate change.
With over 1400 casualties and 33 million people displaced as climate refugees, including over six hundred thousand pregnant women, destroyed four million acres of crops, swept away entire villages and livelihood, Pakistan was facing an unprecedented natural disaster. The prime minister underscored the importance of US leadership in enabling the developing countries including Pakistan to deliver on their climate action commitments under the Paris Agreement by providing sufficient tools in the shape of Climate Finance, Technology Transfer and Capacity Building Assistance.
Special Envoy Kerry expressed solidarity with the people and Government of Pakistan and reaffirmed the US Administration’s continued support in facing the challenges due to the floods. He said that the US was ready to engage with Pakistan to collaborate in rebuilding resilient infrastructure as well as other forms of support that would avert such a crisis in future. Both sides agreed to continue to closely focus on climate change and energy dialogue.
Durable peace to remain elusive without fixing fundamentals: As the world observed the International Day of Peace on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said durable peace would remain elusive without fixing the fundamentals. “As the world observes International Day of Peace today, let us remember that the establishment of sustainable peace is a worthy ideal. However, without fixing the fundamentals, durable peace will remain elusive,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter as he is currently on a United States visit mainly to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
He said the world should work towards strengthening democracy, fighting polarisation, ending social inequality and giving the oppressed people their due rights. Every year, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire. This year, the Day was observed under the theme “End racism. Build peace”.
Shehbaz thanks Guterres, Erdogan for strong advocacy of Pakistan’s flood relief action on UN platform: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for strongly advocating the need for urgent collective action in the wake of massive floods in Pakistan.
“Thank you Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for your strong advocacy of the plight of flood victims and drawing the world’s attention to the most urgent actionable issue of climate change,” he posted on his Twitter handle. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday highlighted the huge destruction caused by climate change, saying he himself saw it in Pakistan, where, he said, one-third of the country was submerged by a “monsoon on steroids”.
The prime minister stressed that the international community needed to move away from talking about climate change to acting together. PM Sharif thanked Turkiye’s President Erdogan for highlighting the need for international assistance to Pakistan amid its post-flood problems in the shape of relief and rehabilitation. “My brother President Erdogan highlights the need for the continued international assistance to help Pakistan deal with the disastrous flood,” he said in another tweet.
The prime minister also acknowledged the continued support of President Erdogan for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiris of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). “We thank the President for his consistent support for the rights of Kashmiris of IIOJK,” he said.
Pakistan’s flood devastation in need of serious global attention: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan needed the attention of the international community to help the country cope with the grave challenge of relief and rehabilitation. “Pakistan is passing through difficult times and the havoc wreaked by floods, which is obvious before the world, needs serious attention,” he said in his video statement on the situation of flash floods in the country.
The recent floods in Pakistan inundated one-third of the land, inflicting massive damage to human lives, infrastructure, livestock and crops.The prime minister, who is in New York to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said he was in touch with the authorities concerned back in Pakistan dealing with the post-flood relief and rehabilitation activities. During the interaction with the world leaders, Sharif said that he highlighted the plight of the flood-affected people including children.The prime minister urged the local companies manufacturing baby food to meet the required quantity of the commodity to be supplied to the children in the flood-hit areas. He also stressed amplifying donation of baby food in order to address the shortage of the stuff. PM Sharif lauded the federal and provincial governments besides the armed forces and the National Disaster Management Authority in carrying out rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities in the flood-affected areas.