Pakistan To Receive $9 Billion in Air for Flood Recovery as Millions of Children Still at Risk Over Contaminated Water

Pakistan is set to receive more than $9 billion in aid from donors at an international conference in Geneva to help its efforts in flood recovery as millions of children are still at risk over contaminated water.

Authorities hosted the event in Geneva on Monday with the help of the United Nations in an attempt to shore up foreign aid to cover roughly half of a total $16.3 billion recovery bill. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres kicked off the one-day conference, which was attended by officials from nearly 40 countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions.

Massive Funding Assistance For Pakistan

The unprecedented flooding that occurred in Pakistan last year was caused by melting glaciers and record monsoon rains. The crisis affected more than 33 million Pakistanis and killed more than 1,700 citizens while pushing roughly 9 million others into poverty, the UN said.

In the aftermath of the flooding, thousands of people are still living in open areas, tents, and makeshift homes located in Sindh and Balochistan, which were the two worst-hit provinces as stagnant water was still present in many areas across the nation, as per Aljazeera.

Pakistani Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar released a statement saying that the final tally came in above a target for the international community. She said that taken as a whale, the commitments totaled more than $9 billion and were considered additional commitments on top of other humanitarian assistance from bilateral and multilateral partners.

Guterres previously praised Pakistan and its people for responding to the "epic tragedy with heroic humanity." He added that the world must now match the heroic efforts with massive investments to strengthen the country's communities for the future.

The UN chief added that Pakistan was double victimized by climate chaos and a morally bankrupt global financial system. Guterres noted that no country deserved to endure what happened during the flooding crisis.

Children Under Threat

According to Yahoo News, oftentimes, UN pledging conferences draw promises of large sums from governments, international organizations, and other donors. However, these commitments are not always fulfilled in their entirety. The Pakistani government also announced plans for independent, outside monitors to make sure that the funds go where they are most needed.

The one-day conference shaped up to be a test case of how willing rich countries would be to assist developing-world countries such as Pakistan to manage the impact of climate change and brace for other similar disasters.

The financial commitments come more than four months after a national state of emergency was declared in Pakistan. Now, up to 4 million children are still living near contaminated waters, which threaten their survival and well-being, UNICEF warned.

Acute respiratory infections among children, which is a leading cause of child mortality across the globe, have jumped in flood-stricken areas in Pakistan. Furthermore, the number of cases of children found suffering from severe acute malnutrition between July and December last year compared to the prior year has nearly doubled. There are also an estimated 1.5 million children who are in need of lifesaving nutrition interventions, UNICEF reported.