Islamabad, 9 September 2022 (TDI): Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), met with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto on Friday.
Remarks of Foreign Minister Zardari
While welcoming Power’s visit to Pakistan at a difficult time when record rains had caused the worst floods in Pakistan’s history, the Foreign Minister appreciated USA’s assistance and support for the Pakistani people.
The Foreign Minister remarked that the flooding had swallowed up entire villages, impacting over 33 million people; the number of deaths stood at 1300, four million acres of crops had been damaged, 800,000 animals had been lost, and billions of dollars in essential infrastructure had been lost.
He emphasized that Pakistan was one of the most seriously affected countries by climate change, particularly with a carbon footprint of less than 1%.
The Foreign Minister highlighted that, despite the government’s active participation in rescue and relief operations, continuing foreign support, support, and cooperation were essential to cope with the terrible consequences of this disaster
Moreover, he underscored that Pakistan was among the most severely affected countries due to climate change, especially with less than 1% carbon footprint.
He also said that despite Government’s full engagement with rescue and relief efforts, continued international support, solidarity, and assistance were required to respond to the devastating impact of this disaster.
The Foreign Minister expressed hope that Pakistan and the United States will expand their collaboration on climate change and climate resilience measures.
He accentuated that affluent nations must raise their climate ambitions, especially by providing sustainable climate money to mitigate the negative effects of climate change in the poor world.
Subsequently, he advocated for more climate justice and hoped that rich nations would take all necessary steps to assist developing countries in dealing with the worst effects of climate change.
The Foreign Minister thanked USAID for providing financial assistance in the aftermath of the floods and expressed hope that having observed firsthand the widespread destruction faced by the flood-affected population, USAID Administrator Samantha Power would mobilize the international community to come forward and support Pakistan throughout these difficult times.
The Foreign Minister also stressed that the Pakistani government had established a highly open structure to guarantee that international financial aid was distributed effectively and fairly.
Remarks of the USAID Administrator
While expressing condolences and sympathies to flood victims, USAID Administrator Samantha Power reiterated that the American administration will provide complete support to Pakistan in order to help reduce the devastating effects of these floods.
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