Pakistan should not be left at mercy of climate change: Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the international community should not leave developing countries like Pakistan at the mercy of climate change. “If it is us today, it could be somebody else tomorrow. The threat of climate change is real, potent, and staring us in the face,” Sharif tweeted after meeting with international media to brief them on Pakistan’s flood devastation.

“I met members of the international media today to brief them about the flood ravages in Pakistan. The devastation is evidence of the seriousness of the threat posed by climate change. Despite having less than 1 per cent share in carbon emissions, we are ranked 8th in terms of exposure to climate hazards, “he said. As the floods continue to wreak havoc in the country, Pakistan’s government has declared the floods a national emergency, with 66 districts declared to be a “calamity hit.” Meanwhile, on Sunday, Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman warned that the number of flood-hit people in the country might rise from 33 million as devastating floods continued. “The humanitarian action is right now being led by the government and supported by the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies. A total of 1,033 people have lost their lives and more than 1,500 have been injured. “The Kabul River is still at a very high flood level at Nowshera as the water has crossed 300,000 cusecs [and this] is why residents in some areas have not been allowed to come back to their homes,” she said in a statement cited by The Express Tribune. The United States on Tuesday announced an additional USD 30 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance to support people and communities affected by severe flooding in Pakistan.