May 1, 2024
ISLAMABAD (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the world for massive help for cash-strapped Pakistan after arriving in the country Friday to see the devastation from months of deadly floods.
Months of monsoons and flooding have killed 1,391 people and affected 3.3 million in the Islamic nation. A half-million people there have become homeless. Planeloads of aid from the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and other countries have begun arriving. But there's more to be done, Guterres said.
The U.N. chief's trip comes less than two weeks after Guterres appealed for $160 million in emergency funding to help those affected by the monsoon rains and floods that Pakistan says have caused at least $10 billion in damages. International aid is arriving, including the first planeload of what the U.S. has pledged will be $30 million in assistance.
Guterres directed his words to the “international community,” saying that by some estimates, Pakistan needs about $30 billion to recover.
So far, U.N. agencies and several countries have sent nearly 60 planeloads of aid, and authorities say the United Arab Emirates is one of the most generous contributors, as it has sent so far 26 flights carrying aid or flood victims.
Also Friday, USAID Administrator Samantha Power met with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Islamabad.
The floods have touched all of Pakistan, including heritage sites such as Mohenjo Daro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered one of the best-preserved ancient urban settlements in South Asia. The civilization dates back 4,500 years, coinciding with those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
The U.N. heritage agency on Thursday announced it would send $350,000 to help recover flood-damaged cultural heritage sites.
Since June, heavy rains and floods have also injured 12,722 people, destroyed thousands of kilometers of roads, toppled bridges and damaged schools and hospitals, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
