'Worst Floods, Tomorrow Could Be Your Country'... "Greenhouse Gas Emitting Countries Must Take Responsibility" for Pakistan's Damage

On the 24th of last month (local time), a displaced family in Zafarabad, Balochistan province, southwestern Pakistan, is seen carrying household items while passing through an area flooded by heavy rain.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Voices have emerged calling for major countries with high greenhouse gas emissions to take responsibility for the massive damage caused by the worst heavy rains in Pakistan.

On the 10th (local time), according to AFP, Ant?nio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, made this statement during his visit to Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan.

Earlier, heavy rains began in mid-June due to the monsoon season across Pakistan, including Karachi. While damage from heavy rains has occurred every year during this period, the scale this year was particularly large.

According to Pakistani authorities, from July to August, Pakistan received 391mm of rain, 190% more than the average for previous years. One-third of the country was submerged by the floods, and about 33 million people, approximately 15% of the population, were affected by the flooding. The cumulative death toll reached at least 1,396 as of this day, and about 660,000 people were staying in temporary relief shelters.

Regarding this, Secretary-General Guterres said, "I have seen many humanitarian disasters, but I have never seen a climate catastrophe of this scale."

He then emphasized the responsibility of the Group of Twenty (G20) countries concerning the climate crisis, noting that these countries account for 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, Pakistan's emissions are less than 1%, among the lowest in the world, making it the biggest victim of climate change.

Furthermore, Secretary-General Guterres stressed that major countries must take responsibility for Pakistan's damage and provide assistance. He said, "Wealthy countries have a moral responsibility to help developing countries like Pakistan recover from such disasters," adding, "Today it is Pakistan, but tomorrow your country could be the one affected." He reiterated, "This is a global crisis and requires a global response."

Meanwhile, the aftermath of the heavy rains continues across Pakistan. Houses are collapsing and roads are breaking down nationwide, slowing recovery efforts. This has led to concerns about poor sanitation and the spread of waterborne infectious diseases such as cholera.

On the 5th, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated, "Cases of infectious disease outbreaks have already been reported at clinics in flood-affected areas," claiming, "Tens of thousands of patients are suffering from diarrhea, malaria, acute respiratory infections, skin diseases, typhoid, and more." Experts have also warned that if safe drinking water and medical services are not provided promptly in Pakistan, about 5 million people could contract various infectious diseases within 4 to 12 weeks.

Additionally, the UN's preliminary estimate of Pakistan's flood damage amounts to $30 billion (approximately 41.49 trillion KRW). This is about 9% of Pakistan's nominal GDP in 2021, as calculated by the World Bank, and significantly higher than the $12.5 billion (approximately 17.28 trillion KRW) economic damage related to the floods previously reported by the Pakistani government committee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.