During a visit to the flood-ravaged regions in southern Pakistan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deep shock. “Incredible,” Guterre said, according to video recordings, of the sight he saw while flying with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the affected provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh. The UN chief personally traveled to Pakistan for two days to draw more public attention to the flood disaster.
Record rainfall during the monsoon season
After record rainfall during the monsoon season, a third of the South Asian country is under water, according to its disaster agency. In many places, rivers burst their banks, tens of thousands of people were driven from their homes. There is also a lack of shelter and food, and diseases are spreading in the flooded areas. Almost 1400 people died.
Guterres repeated his appeal to the international community for “massive” financial support for Pakistan. According to Guterres, the country is one of the 15 hotspots where climate change is being felt. What the UN is currently doing there is “a drop in the ocean of what is needed”.
