UN secretary general arrives in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres arrived here in early hours of Friday on a two-day visit to express solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan braving a colossal climate-induced natural disaster caused by unprecedented rains and floods across the country. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar received the UN chief at the airport.

Meanwhile, Pakistan thanked the international community for standing with it in the difficult time of unprecedented rains and floods across the country and noted that this support and solidarity means a lot when the entire nation – every individual, business, civil society and organization – is coming forward in a big way to face this colossal challenge with resilience, strength and unity.

Foreign Office says that the UN secretary-general’s visit will go a long way in expressing solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan, braving a colossal climate-induced natural disaster caused by unprecedented rains and floods across the country.

“During the visit, Secretary General Guterres will have meetings with the Pakistani leadership and senior officials to exchange views on the national and global response to this catastrophe caused by climate change,” said the Foreign Office spokesman.

The Secretary-General will travel to areas most impacted by the climate catastrophe. He will interact with displaced families in the field and oversee the UN’s humanitarian response work in support of the government’s rescue and relief efforts for millions of affected people.

The dignitary is also expected to visit the most-affected areas, including Balochistan and Sindh (Sukkur, Usta Muhammad, Mohenjo Daro and Larkana) where he will meet first responders and interact with people displaced by the floods. “He will also have a press talk at Karachi airport on Friday evening having personally witnessed the situation in several flood-hit regions”, said the spokesman.