THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

REMARKS

Dr. Jassim Taqui DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, 8 November, There are moments in our life that become unforgettable and that mark us deeply. My last visit to Pakistan was one of these moments. To see an area flooded that is three times the size of my country, Portugal. To see the loss of life, the loss of crops, and the loss of livelihoods. To see the dramatic impact on the lives of people, all over the country, and at the same time to see the courage, resilience, and generosity of the Pakistani people.  

I knew that generosity when I was High Commissioner for Refugees looking at the way Pakistanis have shared everything to receive millions and millions of Afghan refugees. But this time I could witness that generosity with the testimony that I will never forget from women and men that decided to leave their property and leave their assets to go and rescue other people’s assets and property instead of protecting their own. Now, these examples of generosity are examples that should be imitated by the international community, The international community must massively support Pakistan at this moment and there are different ways to do this.  

The UN is proud to be associated with the Government of Pakistan for the international donor conference in which we will try to obtain from the international community the kind of massive support that is needed for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas impacted by these tragic events.  

 

My appeal to the international financial institutions and to the G20 that will be meeting soon in Bali is to create the conditions for mechanisms of debt relief of middle-income countries impacted by natural disasters the size of the one Pakistan had, to allow resources to be devoted to the investments in resilience and in recovery and reconstruction that are necessary.