The devastating floods that have recently struck Pakistan are the result of the "inadequate" global response to the climate crisis the world is facing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2022) The devastating floods that have recently struck Pakistan are the result of the "inadequate" global response to the climate crisis the world is facing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.
"What is happening in Pakistan demonstrates the sheer inadequacy of the global response to the climate crisis, and the betrayal and injustice at the heart of it," he said in his remarks at a press briefing about the 77th session of the General Assembly.
Guterres, who recently returned from Pakistan, said that the trip opened a window into the future, "a future of permanent and ubiquitous climate chaos on an unimaginable scale."
"Devastating loss of life, enormous human suffering, and massive damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. It is simply heartbreaking. No picture can convey the scope of this catastrophe. The flooded area is three times the size of my entire country, Portugal," the UN chief said.
In late August, the Pakistani authorities declared a state of emergency in the country and called on other states and international organizations to provide all possible assistance to the population. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, Pakistan has witnessed 388.7 mm (15 inches) of rainfall this year, in comparison with the average 134 mm (5.3 inches).
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday that the death toll from floods in Pakistan is nearing 1,500 people, with another 12,000 injured since June.
