Sukkur (Agencies/Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres visited the flood-affected areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces on Saturday.
PM Shehbaz and UNSG Antonio Guterres arrived in Sukkur today where they reviewed the damages and the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Members of the federal cabinet and UN delegation also accompanied them.
The prime minister and the UN secretary-general also took an aerial view of the flood-hit areas of Sindh.
The UN chief once again urged the international community to support flood-hit Pakistan as the country needed massive financial help to overcome post-flood crises.
“It is not a matter of generosity, but a matter of justice,” he said reiterating the UN’s commitment, strong support and solidarity with the flood-affected populace of Pakistan.
Guterres said that huge damages and losses were caused to human lives and properties.
The UN absolutely supported the Pakistani nation and requested the well-resourced nations to support the country massively, so that it could face the future challenges of climatic changes and save its nation.
Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah gave a detailed briefing over the damages and loss of lives in the province.
He said during the current monsoon season, different districts of the province had received unusual rainfall never witnessed in the past.
The Sindh CM said that 30 districts of the province were affected, displacing about 12 million, adding that a total of 578 people lost their lives. A total of 3 million houses were destroyed and crops grown on an area of about 3.3 million acres were damaged while 500,000 livestock had been swept away.
Later, the premier and the UNSG Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday arrived in Usta Muhammad Tehsil on Balochistan to visit the flood-affected areas.
Upon arrival, Acting Governor Balochistan and Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo received the prime minister and the UN secretary-general.
Balochistan chief secretary of briefed the dignitaries about the devastation caused by the monsoon floods, and rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the province.
PM Shehbaz informed the UN secretary-general said that the relevant authorities faced huge difficulties to reach to the affected people in the remote areas of the province.
He said that floods had badly affected the road and rail infrastructure besides, damaging bridges.
PM Shehbaz said that the rehabilitation of the flood affectees was a major challenge, the federal government was assisting the provinces and urged the international community’s support to overcome these challenges.
He said that the province had its natural resources, and his government was focusing on the development of the province.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo informed the UNSG that they had utilized all the limited resources in the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts.
He appealed to the global community to extend financial help to support the flood affectees of the country.
On the occasion, PM Shehbaz and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also interacted with flood affectees during their visit to the tent city Usta Muhammad.
The federal ministers also accompanied them.
