ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif thanked the international donors who committed over $9 billion to help Pakistan recover from ruinous floods last year, exceeding Islamabad’s external financing goals and paving the way for a new model of raising funds to fight climate disasters in poorer countries.
Officials from some 40 countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions gathered at a meeting in Geneva as Islamabad sought funds to cover around half of a recovery bill amounting to $16.3 billion.
The meeting’s co-hosts, the United Nations and Pakistan’s government, said more than $9 billion had been pledged from bilateral and multilateral partners.
Among the donors were the Islamic Development Bank ($4.2 billion), the World Bank ($2 billion), Saudi Arabia ($1 billion), as well as the European Union and China, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said. France and the United States also made contributions.
“A big thank you to Heads of states and governments, European Union, our development partners and United Nations for making Resilient Pakistan Conference a resounding success,” the prime minister tweeted.
He also mentioned the proactive role of Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, in highlighting the plight of flood-hit people.
“The UN secretary general has shown stellar leadership all along. People of Pakistan will forever remain grateful,” he said.
Sharif said the world witnessed how the nations came together in a show of solidarity to create a model of win-win partnership to lift suffering humanity out of tragedy. “I was deeply moved by the compassion on display at Geneva Conference. Together we will rebuild lives and hopes,” he said.
“Today has truly been a day which gives us great hope,” said Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s minister of state for foreign affairs. “I think the message from the world is clear: the world will stand by those who go through any national calamity.”
Achim Steiner, the United Nations Development Programme Administrator, characterised the outcome of the conference — where pledges exceeded Pakistan’s goal — as “quite unusual”, saying that donor pledges often fell short of objectives.
Waters are still receding from the floods caused by monsoon rains and melting glaciers that killed at least 1,700 people, displaced around 8 million and destroyed key infrastructure.
