UN chief calls for support for Pakistan in wake of floods

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a plenary meeting of the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 7, 2022. (Cia Pak/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for international support for Pakistan in the wake of devastating floods.

The United Nations is working with the Pakistani government to convene a pledging conference to provide concrete support for rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, he told the UN General Assembly, which is expected to adopt a resolution on solidarity with Pakistan.

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority said Thursday that 1,700 people had been killed by the floods since mid-June and 12,867 others injured in the South Asian Country.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on the same day that his government had spent about 450 million U.S. dollars in relief efforts.

"I urge donor countries, international financial institutions and other relevant international organizations, along with the private sector and civil society to fully support these efforts," Guterres said.

The United Nations launched the Pakistan floods response plan. The revised plan calls for 816 million dollars -- a surge of 656 million dollars from the initial appeal -- to respond to the most urgent needs through next May.

"We must act -- and we must act now," Guterres said. "Climate chaos is knocking on everyone's door, right now. We must step up and answer the call for the people of Pakistan. This global crisis demands global solidarity and a global response." 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium and on the screen) speaks at a plenary meeting of the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 7, 2022. (Cia Pak/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)