LONDON: Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of former premier Imran Khan, and her brother Ben Goldsmith have managed to raise over £150,000 for Pakistan flood victims in support of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) Pakistan Floods Appeal and the Pakistan Environment Trust.

The siblings hosted a charity dinner in central London last night with over 100 high-profile leading Pakistani and Indian personalities in attendance.

The guests who attended the dinner also included the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, novelist Fatima Bhutto, British presenters, Noreen Khan and Sam Naz, Overseas Investment Adviser for Pakistan, Zeeshan Shah and former UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, Adam Thomson.

On this occasion, Jemima — also a UNICEF ambassador and English TV and film producer and writer — said, “The Pakistan floods have been on such a devastating scale that it’s difficult to comprehend, with 33 million people affected and over 7.9 million people displaced.

As a UNICEF ambassador, Jemima said, she was helping to raise vital funds to support the children and families affected by this catastrophe.

“The Pakistan Environment Trust, founded by my brother Ben, is working to combat climate change in a country that faces some of the most challenging effects of the global environmental crisis,” she added.

“What these two great causes need more than ever is financial support, so Ben and I are pleased to be able to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the people of Pakistan.”

The total amount raised at the event will support UNICEF’s Pakistan Floods Appeal, as well as, the Pakistan Environment Trust, she said.

Floods in Pakistan

Earlier this week, Pakistan secured $10.7 billion in flood pledges, well over a targetted $8 billion, as it scrambles to mobilise funds to rehabilitate the devastated 33 million population and repair damages worth billions.

The cash-strapped nation clinched the pledges at a one-day International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in Geneva after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched an $8 billion flood aid appeal aimed at helping the country overcome the devastation caused due to the cataclysmic floods.

The country, with a $350 billion economy, secured commitments worth $8.57 billion by the end of the first plenary session, while it managed to secure over $2 billion in the second session.

Pakistan faces financial distress after the deadly floods wreaked havoc on the country, which killed at least 1,700 and caused damages worth over $16 billion — half of which Islamabad is financing through its resources.