The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres will visit flood-hit Pakistan next week to see “areas most impacted by this unprecedented climate catastrophe.”
The UN top boss will visit the flood-ravaged country on what the international organisation bills as a “solidarity visit”. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres is expected to arrive in Islamabad on September 9 and return to New York on September 11.
Earlier, Guterres urged the international community to help Pakistan battle “epochal levels of rain and flooding”. In a video posted on his Twitter account, the UN chief launched a $160 million appeal to help the millions “shattered” by the devastating floods.
Terming the calamity a monsoon on steroids, he said the rains and subsequent flooding have resulted in a death toll exceeding 1,000.
He also said that this colossal crisis requires urgent and collective action to help the government and people of Pakistan in their hour of need. Describing South Asia a ‘climate crisis hotspot’, he urged people to stop ignoring climate change.
Torrential rains have left one third of Pakistan under water. Over a 1000 people have lost their lives and more than 1500 have been injured in flood-related incidents across the country.
