United Nations has stated that Pakistan needs more than $16 billion to recover from flood devastations that affected one-third of the state last year.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will co-host an international conference in Geneva next week to address the enormous needs.
The one-day event will bring together high-level officials from several countries, including several unnamed heads of state and government.
As per UN and Pakistan representatives, it aimed to rally support as the nation rebuilds following the massive floods that killed over 1,700 people and disturbed over 30 million others.
The UN Development Program’s representative in Pakistan Knut Ostby said, “The needs are around $16.3 billion.”
Ostby also added, “What is unique about this conference is that it is both mobilizing support for the immediate response to the disaster but it also comes at a time where the world is realizing that this is a global issue.”
Head of the UN division in Pakistan’s foreign ministry Syed Haider Shah said that the nation hoped to cover half of the cost with domestic resources but for the rest, we are looking for donor support.
An earlier appeal for $816 million to assist victims of Pakistan’s catastrophic monsoon floods received less than half that amount.
Pakistan is scheduled to present a document in Geneva outlining a comprehensive strategy for climate-resilient recovery and reconstruction.
