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Pakistan needs billions for flood recovery, UN urges

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  • Over $16 billion is needed to help Pakistan recover from floods.
  • Previous appeal for $816 million resulted in less than half amount.
  • To meet needs, PM and UN secretary-general will host international conference.

GENEVA: More than $16 billion is needed to help Pakistan recover from devastating floods that submerged a third of the country last year, and to better resist the impact of climate change, the United Nations said Thursday.

In a bid to meet the towering needs, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will host an international conference in Geneva next week.

The one-day event will gather high-level representatives from dozens of countries, including several heads of state and government, who have yet to be named.

While not strictly a pledging conference, UN and Pakistani representatives said Thursday that it aimed to mobilise support as the country deals rebuilds after the massive floods that left more than 1,700 people dead and affected over 30 million others.

“The needs are around $16.3 billion,” Knut Ostby, the UN Development Programme’s representative in Pakistan, told reporters.

Speaking by video from Islamabad, Syed Haider Shah, who heads the UN division in Pakistan’s foreign ministry, said his country hoped to cover half that amount through its own “domestic resources”.

“For the rest, we are looking at the donor support,” he said.

“This is a pivotal moment for the global communities to stand with the people of Pakistan,” said Khalil Hashmi, the country’s UN envoy in Geneva, while stressing that the conference would be the beginning of a multiyear process”.

A previous appeal for $816 million to help the victims of Pakistan’s cataclysmic monsoon floods has so far resulted in less than half that amount.

Yet the situation remains dire months after the monsoon rains ended, with flood waters still not receded in some parts of southern Pakistan.

Millions of people remain displaced, and while many have begun returning home, Ostby noted that they were returning to damaged or destroyed homes and mud-covered fields that cannot be planted.

The number of people facing food insecurity had doubled to 14.6 million, he said.

In Geneva, Pakistan is due to present a document laying out a wide-ranging strategy aimed at a climate-resilient recovery and reconstruction.

Pakistan, with the world’s fifth-largest population, is responsible for just 0.8% of global greenhouse emissions but is also one the most vulnerable countries to extreme weather caused by climate change.

“What is unique about this conference is that it is both mobilising support for the immediate response to the disaster… but it also comes at a time where the world is realising that this is a global issue,” Ostby said.

“It has to be tackled with global solidarity.”

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There will be no rally in Islamabad on May 9, as police warn of stern action.

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On Tuesday, police announced the federal government had implemented Section 144 in the Capital, which prohibited anyone from holding a gathering without permission.

The Capital police have warned that individuals who attempt to hold a gathering on May 9 will face severe consequences. Those who organize a protest procession without previous permission will face legal consequences. The Capital Police Department stated that such an attempt would not be permitted.

It should be noted that the PTI has organized a ‘peaceful’ demonstration in Islamabad on May 9, and has sought a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 incident.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media on Tuesday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, along with the party’s top leaders, including Shoaib Shaheen, stated that peaceful protest was a fundamental right of any political party. They also inquired about the location of CCTV footage from the May 9 occurrences.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has called for the establishment of a judicial committee to probe the events of May 9. Barrister Gohar reiterated the party’s position on the Public Accounts Committee chairman, noting that it was an internal matter that will be settled upon notification.

In response to the DG ISPR’s recent press conference, Barrister Gohar stated, “I will read the DG ISPR’s statement and then comment.”

Shoaib Shaheen emphasized claimed acts of state terrorism, such as the kidnapping of the PTI’s founder and cases like Zille Shah. He also expressed concern about CCTV camera breakdowns in critical situations.

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Hajj 2024: Pakistan’s inaugural flight, carrying 180 pilgrims, departs tomorrow

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The first Hajj flight will depart from Karachi International Airport on Thursday (tomorrow) with 180 pilgrims, Ministry of Religious Affairs officials announced on Tuesday.

According to the officials, the first flight would depart at 1:45 a.m. on Thursday. According to them, up to 180 pilgrims will fly from Karachi to Medina, while a second aircraft of 150 pilgrims would depart for the holy region at 2 a.m.

In a month-long pre-Hajj flying operation, more than 68,000 prospective pilgrims under the government’s regular Hajj scheme would be ferried to Saudi Arabia on 259 flights by multiple airlines.

Most planes would arrive in Jeddah between May 24 and June 9, with the post-Hajj flight service from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan beginning on June 20.

On the first day (Thursday), 11 aircraft carrying 2,160 pilgrims would leave Pakistani airports for Medina.

Three aircraft from Islamabad would transport up to 680 pilgrims to Medina, two flights from Karachi would carry 330 pilgrims, and three flights from Lahore would transport 670 pilgrims.

The first Hajj flights from Quetta and Sukkur are scheduled for May 11 and 27, respectively.

Pre-HAJJ Arrangements

Earlier, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had finalized plans for the incoming pilgrims. As a result, the pilgrims were vaccinated on April 30 because travelers must obtain the mandated immunization 10 days before their Hajj flights begin.

Pilgrims must carry smartphones with them so that they can use applications for assistance throughout their Hajj journey.

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Pakistan’s lunar mission ‘ICUBE-Q’ reaches the moon orbit.

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Pakistan’s lunar mission (ICUBE-Q) entered orbit around the moon on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s historic lunar mission (ICUBE-Q) launched from Hainan, China, on Friday aboard China’s Chang’E6 spacecraft.

According to the IST, the satellite ICUBE-Q was planned and developed in partnership with China’s Shanghai University SJTU and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO.

The ICUBE-Q orbiter is equipped with two optical cameras to image the lunar surface. ICUBE-Q has now been integrated into the Chang’e6 mission after successfully qualifying and testing it.

Chang’e6 is the sixth lunar exploration mission launched by China.

The launch event was streamed live on the IST website and social media platforms. Chang’6, China’s Lunar Mission, will land on the Moon’s far side to collect surface samples before returning to Earth for further research.

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