Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Sept 9: Antonio Guterres, the head of the UN, arrived in flood-stricken Pakistan on Friday to begin a two-day visit that officials hope will increase international aid for the millions of people affected by the humanitarian disaster.
After record rains brought on by what Guterres has referred to as ‘a monsoon on steroids,’ a third of the country, an area the size of the United Kingdom is now under water.
Officials in Pakistan estimate the cost of repairing and rebuilding damaged infrastructure at least $10 billion; however, for the time being, the need for food and shelter for millions of displaced people should take precedence.
The yearly monsoon season in Pakistan brings with it torrential, often catastrophic rains that are essential for agriculture and water supplies.
But Pakistani officials blame climate change, which is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather around the world, for a rainfall as heavy as this year’s, which hasn’t been seen in decades.
Pakistan ranks seventh on a list of nations the NGO Germanwatch considers most vulnerable to extreme weather brought on by climate change, while producing less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
