Pakistan said donors pledged more than $9 billion to help rebuild after last year’s devastating floods at an international conference in Geneva.
Pakistan is co-hosting the event with the United Nations in Geneva on Monday as it requests international assistance to cover about half of a total of $16.3 billion for recovery.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the day-long conference, which was attended by officials from nearly 40 other countries, as well as private donors and international financial institutions.
The unprecedented floods, caused by melting glaciers and record-high monsoon rains last year, affected more than 33 million Pakistanis, killing more than 1,700 people and impoverishing about nine million others, according to the UN.
In Sindh and Balochistan, the two hardest-hit provinces, thousands of people are still living in open areas, tents and makeshift houses, with many areas still suffering from standing water.
Pakistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the final record is above an international community target.
“Total these pledges total more than $9 billion and from what we know so far, these are all in addition to what has already been pledged in terms of humanitarian aid etc. by bilateral and multilateral partners,” she said, adding that a number of delegations had also offered in-kind assistance.
“We’re racing against time”
Earlier, Guterres praised Pakistan and its people for responding to “this epic tragedy with heroic humanity”.
“We must complement the heroic response of the Pakistani people with our own efforts and massive investments to strengthen their communities for the future,” he said.
“Pakistan is doubly victim of climate chaos and a morally bankrupt global financial system,” the UN chief added. “No country deserves to endure what happened to Pakistan.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (right) and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Geneva Summit [Denis Balibouse/Reuters]
Addressing the summit on Monday, Sharif called for a “new coalition of the willing” in the international community, “one that can save lives and put them on the path to responsible global citizenship”.
“Today’s meeting is an attempt to give my people another chance to get back on their feet,” he said, adding that his government needs at least $8 billion from outside donors over the next three years to bail out the country rebuild.
“We’re racing against the clock,” he said.
She is traveling to Geneva today to co-host the International Conference on a Resilient Pakistan with the UN Secretary-General. Will take the opportunity to present the case of the flood victims to the world. I will also highlight the steps my government has taken towards relief and rehabilitation. 1/3
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 8, 2023
In a column for Britain’s The Guardian newspaper on Friday, Sharif said Pakistan “simply cannot do this on its own”.
“These flooded areas now look like a huge series of permanent lakes, forever changing the terrain and the lives of the people who live there. No pump can remove this water in less than a year; and by July 2023 there is concern that these areas could be flooded again,” he wrote.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is responsible for less than one percent of global emissions but remains in the top 10 nations at risk from climate change.
French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the summit via video message [Denis Balibouse/Reuters]
Pakistan’s 4RF plan
According to Islamabad, the Geneva conference will focus on two goals: the Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) strategy to secure international support and find a way to build long-term climate resilience and adaptation to climate change in Pakistan .
Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, said: “The aim is to secure international support for the 4RF, which includes institutional, financial and implementation arrangements for post-flood recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The conference will help us forge long-term partnerships to strengthen Pakistan’s climate resilience and adaptation.”
A general view of the sunken houses in Jaffarabad in the Balochistan province of Pakistan [File: Reuters]
Last year, Pakistan, with the help of the United Nations and other global organizations, produced a Post-Disaster Needs Analysis (PDNA) report that estimated the country needed $16.3 billion to rebuild its economy and infrastructure, and asked for global help.
In December, the United Nations said it had received only $262 million — just 32 percent of the target amount — despite an urgent $816 million appeal for Pakistan.
The floods came amid a dire economic crisis in Pakistan, which saw foreign exchange reserves plummet to less than $6 billion last month.
Pakistan is also asking for immediate financial support from the International Monetary Fund, as well as friendly countries like Saudi Arabia and China, to prop up its faltering economy and avoid a default.
Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, an Islamabad-based climate change analyst, told Al Jazeera he does not expect any significant commitments from other nations and authorities at the Geneva conference.
“I don’t think anyone will offer Pakistan an open checkbook, but I’m sure they will make some commitments on the number of participants and do something,” he said.
“If Pakistan manages to get promises of more than $1 billion from this conference, it can be called a short-term success.”