Urgent action on climate change needed as 33 million displaced by flooding in Pakistan

In Pakistan the government has declared a state of emergency as over 1,000 people have died, and more than 33 million people have been displaced following devastating monsoon rains.

Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland said:

“We are now watching the impact of climate change unfold before our eyes. Pakistan, the world’s fifth largest country, has contributed less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas emissions and yet is now one of the countries bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.”

“We need to urgently establish an international Loss and Damage Finance Facility to ensure countries like Pakistan, who are already devastated by climate change, to rebuild and respond to extreme weather events. We also need to ensure that Ireland meets its commitments to lower emissions.”

“Rising global temperatures are triggering many different extreme weather events, from severe drought in East Africa, to the latest catastrophic flooding in Pakistan.

“In the blink of an eye, tens of millions of people in Pakistan have lost their homes, their crops, their livelihoods and their lives to flooding. The cost of the long-term recovery for a cash-strapped country like Pakistan will be enormous.

“The flooding in Pakistan clearly demonstrates why the UN climate talks need to urgently agree a new funding facility to address climate-induced loss and damage at the upcoming COP27 negotiations in Egypt later this year. Communities in Pakistan have done little to cause the climate crisis, but they are the ones who are now enduring the tragedy and bearing the cost. It’s past time for wealthy, industrialised countries who have done the most to heat the planet to step up and agree to a financial mechanism that helps to address this fundamental injustice.”

The UN COP27 negotiations are taking place in Egypt from 6-18 November 2022.