Never seen climate carnage on the scale of the floods in Pakistan: UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the international community that all countries would suffer damages "beyond their capacity to adapt" if the world failed to respond to the challenge of climate change, Samaa TV reported.

After a two-day Pakistan visit, the UN chief took to Twitter to write that he had "never seen climate carnage on the scale of the floods here in Pakistan".

"This is a global crisis. It demands a global response," he said.

The monsoon rainfall and subsequent floods have killed 1,396 people across the country between June 14 and September 9, and have left 12,728 injured. More than 30 million have also been displaced, Dawn reported.

 

Sindh is the worst-hit province so far, accounting for the most deaths and injuries. Of the 1,396 fatalities countrywide, Sindh's total is 578. Injuries number is 8,321 of the countrywide total of 12,728.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday said his organisation would strongly advocate for 'debt swaps' with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank through which developing countries, including Pakistan -- instead of paying back loans to foreign creditors -- would be able to use that money to invest in climate resilience, investments in sustainable infrastructure, and green transition of their economies, Express Tribune reported.

"We will go on strongly advocating for these solutions in the meetings with the IMF and World Bank that will take place soon as well as at the G-20 meeting," Guterres told the media on his arrival at the old airport of Karachi.

The UN chief appealed to the international community to scale up its support for flood-hit Pakistan, Express Tribune reported.

"We see here in Pakistan, the nature is striking back with devastating consequences," he observed, adding: "I have seen many disasters in the world but I have never seen climate carnage on these scales."--IANS

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