The United Nations and Pakistan had issued an appeal for $160 million in emergency funding to help millions affected by record-breaking floods that have killed more than 1,150 people since mid-June. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Pakistan’s flooding, caused by weeks of unprecedented monsoon rains, was a signal to the world to step up action against climate change. He urged the world to stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change. In his video message to the flash appeal launching ceremony in Islamabad on Tuesday, he sensitized the world that today Pakistan is a victim of this calamity, and it could be your country tomorrow. The flash appeal has been launched simultaneously by the UN in Geneva and Islamabad, while a joint flood response Plan- 2022 was also launched by Pakistan and the United Nations during a ceremony in Islamabad. Accordinng to the UN Resident Coordinator to Pakistan, the magnitude of the diaster was so gigantic that Pakistan could not overcome the challenge alone and the support of the international community would be crucial in metigating the impact of the disaster.
Today, Pakistan is facing one of the worst floods in its history due to recurrent spells of torrential rains across the country since mid June. The unprecedented monsoon rainfall resulted in floods affecting more than 66 districts across the country. The catastrophic flooding affected more than 33 million people, damaged road infrastructure and water dams, destroyed standing crops over millions of square kilometers, damaged over one million households, and displaced millions of people in the country. In fact, the catastrophic flooding has devastated the country, which was already trying to revive a struggling economy.
According to a preliminary estimate by the government, the devastation had caused over $10 billion in damage to the economy so far. Currently, the Federal and provincial governments along with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Armed Forces, local and global NGOs are busy in rescue and relief activities while the government is also planning to kick off reconstruction of the infrastructure and rehabilitation of flood-hit people across the country. According to experts, the magnitude of the disaster was so vast that repair of infrastructure and rehabilitation of the masses would require several months along with massive fiscal expending.
Meteorologists have warned of more rains in the coming weeks and the situation is likely to deteriorate because millions of people are living in relief camps and damaged infrastructure is causing difficulty in rescue and relief operation. Apparently, the human wisdom, material structure and articifical intelligence failed to properly forecast and forestalling of the natural disaster while the climate change action had multiplied the devastation of rainstorm. Presently, the government of Pakistan has constituted a flood relief fund and a nationwide campaign underway across the country for collection of funds and essential commodities to provide basic necessities, shelter and medical care to the flood effectees in different regions. The government of Pakistan has appealed to the friendly nations while the United Nations has also launched a request for humanitarian aid for Pakistan to help support the relief and rehabilitation activities in flood hit nation.
Historically, Pakistani nation has proved its resilience in the face of natural calamities in the past while the current disaster also demands national unity and sacrifice to assist the government in rehabilitaion of flood affected people in the country.
