United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres will reach Pakistan tomorrow on his two-day solidarity visit following the unprecedented floods in the country.
The Foreign Office spokesperson has said in a statement that UN secretary general would meet the country’s senior leadership and officials to exchange views on the response to the catastrophic floods caused by climate change.
According to the statement, the secretary general would also visit areas most affected by floods where he would interact with displaced families as well as oversee humanitarian response work of UN and relief efforts.
Guterres would also raise global awareness about the scale of calamity. According to the FO’s statement, the visit would “contribute towards enhancing commensurate and coordinated international response to the humanitarian and other needs of the 33 million affected Pakistanis”.
On August 30, the UN had issued a flash appeal of $160 million to help Pakistan. Guterres had said that the people of Pakistan were facing a “monsoon on steroids” and that the country was awash in suffering.
He had further said that millions of people have been forced from their homes and schools whereas the health facilities had also been shattered by the climate catastrophe. He had appealed for a speedy response to Pakistan’s request for help. He said, “Let us all step up in solidarity and support the people of Pakistan in their hour of need.”
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative in UN Munir Akram welcoming the announcement of UN chief’s visit to Pakistan has said, “This is a demonstration of his solidarity with the people and Govt of Pakistan in this hour of need and his determination to mobilize the entire UN system to respond to this human catastrophe.”
