Pakistan urges int'l community to 'honor its commitments' on climate crisis

ISTANBUL

Pakistan on Wednesday urged the international community “honor its commitments” for the solution of climate crisis, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the UN Climate Summit in New York.

Sharif said Pakistan is “willing and determined to be part of the solution to the climate crisis,” expressing his hope that the “international community will also honor its commitment for the sake of our future generations.”

“My country is reeling from intense monsoon rains, cloud burst, flash floods, mudslides and devastating urban flooding. This climate induced catastrophe has impacted over 5 million lives across 41,00 villages,” Sharif said, referring to the damage caused by floods this year.

“Over 1,000 precious lives have been lost. We are facing this calamity at a time when the scars of the 2022 flux that inflicted losses exceeding $30 billion and displaced millions are still visible across our land,” he added.

Separately, Sharif urged the International Monetary Fund to consider the impact of recent catastrophic floods on the local economy in its upcoming review for the South Asian country. He made the remarks at his meeting with the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Appreciating the IMF’s "longstanding constructive" partnership with Pakistan, he acknowledged the global lender's "timely" support under various instruments, including the Stand By Arrangement for $3 billion in 2024 followed by the Extended Fund Facility of $7 billion and Resilience and Sustainability Facility of $1.4 billion.