Disturbing scene in Pakistan as it looks at other countries to rebuild

New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on 9 January 2023 in Geneva, appealed for $8 billion in aid from its international partners over the next three years to rebuild the country reeling from last year's devastating floods and economic crisis.

Several countries are coming forward to support the suffering millions of Pakistan's population, who suffered in floods and are living a miserable life on the support of charity and aid.

Shehbaz Sharif is in Geneva with a high-level Pakistan delegation to co-chair the International Conference on 'Climate Resilient Pakistan', along with UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres.

Officials from some 40 countries, private donors, and international financial institutions have joined the conference.

The US pledged $100 million, Qatar $35 million to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia separately is willing to invest more in Pakistan, with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman directing the authorities to study augmenting the country's investments in Pakistan to reach $10 billion, giving a significant boost to Pakistan's efforts to stabilise its deteriorating economy.

The United States has announced an additional USD 100 million for Pakistan to continue supporting its recovery efforts after the devastating floods last year, taking the total contribution to USD 200 million, US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said.

USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman, as head of the United States delegation to the International Conference on Climate-Resilient Pakistan, announced that the United States is pledging an additional $100 million to continue supporting Pakistan's recovery efforts from the devastating 2022 floods.

Qatar has announced US $25mn in support for Pakistan. It came in a speech by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi at the International Conference on a Climate Resilient Pakistan, held in Geneva.

Last October, in collaboration with development partners, Pakistan developed a post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) that calculated the destruction and economic losses from the floods exceeded $30 billion, which is 8 per cent of Pakistan's GDP, pushing 9 million people into abject poverty, the Prime Minister said.

Pakistan has built a framework for the country's uplift: a minimum of $16.3 billion was needed to rebuild and rehabilitate families and the lives of thousands suffering from poverty.

"Pakistan needs $8 billion from its international partners over the next three years to rebuild the country that is reeling from last year's devastating floods, Pakistan PM Shehbaz said.

Saudi Arabia is willing to invest more in Pakistan, with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman directing the authorities to study augmenting the country's investments in Pakistan to reach $10 billion, giving a significant boost to Pakistan's efforts to stabilise its deteriorating economy.

The Saudi leader also directed the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to consider increasing the number of deposits by $2 billion to reach $5 billion, confirming the Kingdom's position supportive of Pakistan's economy and its people amid the worsening crisis.

The announcement came after Pakistan's newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, met with the Crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan is facing a currency crisis due to dwindling forex reserves which have slumped to $4.5 billion — enough for three weeks of imports.

Pakistan is also striving to revive the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) loan programme stalled for months. A Pakistani delegation held a meeting with the IMF officials in Geneva demanding approval of $1.1 billion originally due to be disbursed in November last year.

Pakistan suffering a huge economic crisis

Pakistan suffered massive monsoon floods last year, and one-third of Pakistan was completely under flood waters. Around 2,000 people died in the floods and Millions suffered and had no food to eat and no roof to sleep under. The effects of poverty are still visible in several rural and mountainous areas. There is an acute shortage of essential commodities and rates of several essential items like wheat have skyrocketed. It is believed that a kg of wheat (which is in shortage, is being sold for Pakistani Rs 150 per kg).

The flash floods have washed away roads, homes and crops - leaving a trail of deadly havoc across Pakistan. Sindh and Balochistan and mountainous regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the worst affected.

One of the viral videos by Fakhar Yousafzai @fakarzai7, a local journalist in Pakistan shows how two citizens are fighting over a bag of 10 kg of wheat in Pakistan.

Situation in #Pakistan 

Food crisis in Neuclear Power People r fighting for 10 kg bag of flour pic.twitter.com/J6BGHlcFoe

— Fakhar Yousafzai (@fakharzai7) January 10, 2023

Thousands of people from the mountains lived in temporary camps and depended on charity and free ration supplies from government and Non-Government Organisations.

The UN seeks massive investments

Speaking at the occasion in Geneva, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that in his visit to Pakistan last year, he saw with his own eyes the impact of the torrential rains in flood-hit areas and, in particular, praised the nation for its resilience.

"My heart broke when I saw first-hand the devastation of last summer's floods. No country deserves to endure what happened to Pakistan, but it was especially bitter to watch that country's generous spirit being repaid with a climate disaster of monumental scale," he added.

"We must match the heroic response of the people of Pakistan with our efforts and massive investments to strengthen their communities for the future," Guterres said.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner said the next phase of the Pakistan response represented a "monumental moment of reckoning for the entire world".