Pakistan is facing “a monsoon on steroids”, the UN’s secretary general has warned, after floods submerged a third of the country.
Antonio Guterres urged the world to come to Pakistan’s aid as he launched a $160m appeal to help the tens of millions affected in the disaster.
He blamed “the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding”.
At least 1 thousand 1 hundred and 36 people have been killed since June and roads, crops, homes and bridges washed away across the country.
This year’s record monsoon is comparable to the devastating floods of 2010 – the deadliest in Pakistan’s history – which left more than 2,000 people dead.
In a video message, Mr Guterres called South Asia a “climate crisis hotspot” where people were 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts.
He said the UN appeal aimed to provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education and health support.
Officials estimate that more than 33 million Pakistanis – one in seven people – have been affected by the flooding.
Aid is starting to arrive after Pakistan launched its own appeal for help. The United Arab Emirates and Turkey have delivered tents and medicines, while the US and Britain have pledged their support.
