UN’s adorable role in natural cataclysm

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres have urged the international community to extend massive support to Pakistan as the country battled cosmic floods. The UN Secretary-General paid a two-day visit to Pakistan to express solidarity with the flood-affected people of the country

. The UN Chief visited the National Flood Response and Coordination Centre (NFRCC) and was briefed about the current situation and the massive devastation brought by the floods across the country. After witnessing the volume of calamity and details of destruction and losses, the UN Chief was of the view that the world needed to amplify its assistance to Pakistan in the wake of the natural disaster along with substantial debt support for the South Asian nation to help the country overcome numerous challenges including economic stability.

The UN Chief noted that Pakistan, despite its little contribution to climate change was bearing the negative effects of the phenomenon of natural disasters. According to him, it was absolutely essential for other countries, particularly those contributing to carbon emissions, to mobilize resources for Pakistan following the devastating monsoon. Guterres sensitized the world that if Pakistan is a victim of this disaster today then it could be any other nation tomorrow. UN Chief categorically stated that he would continue to raise his voice for the Pakistani people and the government who were grappling with difficult situations amid floods.

Pakistan is passing through an arduous movement in its history as the hill torrents had submerged a third of its landmass and one in every seven Pakistani is badly affected by floods. The volume of devastation was so enormous that it was not possible for the government to tackle the situation through local resources because torrential rains affected over 33 million people, rendering millions homeless besides killing over 1500 citizens.

The multiple spells of monsoon rains caused heavy losses in hilly areas, planes, and urban centers destroyed business markets, and food grain stores, killing hundreds of thousands of livestock, badly damaged road infrastructure, and restricted movement and transportation of relief goods to flood-hit areas, and also ruined standing crops over millions of square kilometers in Southern Punjab and Sindh, which prompted fear of malnutrition and famine in the country.

The UN is playing an adorable role during the current cataclysm and UN Chief had earlier launched an appeal for humanitarian assistance worth $ 160 million which is insufficient to satisfy the gigantic needs of the country. The UN Secretary-General has sensitized the world about the gravity of the situation and urged the developed nations to support Pakistan which is battling the disastrous effects of climate change, which had been largely contributed by the richer nations of the world.

Apparently, the world faces an optimum risk of climate change while several nations including Pakistan face existential challenges from nature. The weather cycle is a continuous phenomenon and it can pose recurrent cataclysms for unsafe regions. Hence, the government must adopt safety measures during the reconstruction and rehabilitation phases so a similar tragedy does not reoccur again.