Pakistan says donors at an international conference in Geneva have pledged to give more than $9bn to help it rebuild following last year’s devastating floods.
Pakistan is hosting the event in Geneva on Monday with the United Nations as it seeks international assistance to cover around half of a total $16.3bn recovery bill.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres kicked off the one-day conference, attended by officials from nearly 40 other countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions.
The unprecedented floods caused by melting glaciers and record monsoon rains last year affected more than 33 million Pakistanis, killing more than 1,700 people and pushing about nine million others into poverty, according to the UN.
Thousands of people are still living in open areas, tents and makeshift homes in Sindh and Balochistan, the two worst-hit provinces, with stagnant water still present in many areas.
Pakistani Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the final tally came in above a target for the international community.
“Taken as a whole, these commitments total more than $9 billion and from what we know so far, these are all additional commitments from what was already given in terms of humanitarian assistance, etc., from both bilateral and multilateral partners,” she said, adding that a number of delegations had also offered up in-kind support.
Earlier, Guterres praised Pakistan and its people for responding to “this epic tragedy with heroic humanity”.
“We must match the heroic response of the people of Pakistan with our own efforts and massive investments to strengthen their communities for the future,” he said.
“Pakistan is doubly victimised by climate chaos and a morally bankrupt global financial system,” the UN chief added. “No country deserves to endure what happened to Pakistan.”
Addressing the summit earlier on Monday, Sharif called for a “new coalition of the willing” among the international community, “one that can save lives and put them on a path to responsible global citizenship”.
Today’s meeting is an attempt to give my people another chance at getting back on their feet,” he said, adding that his government needed at least $8bn from outside donors over the next three years to rebuild the country.
Source: aljazeera.com
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
