ISLAMABAD: After the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh last month, the first meeting between a top US diplomat and three senior ministers to discuss Pakistan’s flood recovery efforts took place this week in Islamabad.
Elizabeth Horst, principal deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asia, travelled to Islamabad on December 8 and 9, where she met with officials to discuss US assistance for Pakistan’s flood recovery.
Horst met with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, the Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman, the Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, and the Chief of Staff of the National Disaster Management Authority Brigadier Naik Nam, according to a spokesperson for the US Embassy.
According to the US, Horst’s visit and her discussions highlighted the US government’s dedication to cooperating with Pakistan to support its flood recovery efforts, increase access to renewable energy, combat climate change, and address obstacles to expanding trade and investment between our countries.
It’s surprising that the Foreign Ministry chose not to comment on the meeting. The office did not dispute the meeting between Horst and Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar when questioned about its specifics.
Not every meeting results in a press release or tweet from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting you’re referring to was operational, therefore it wasn’t televised, said a spokesman for the Foreign Office.
She continued by saying that in 2022, the US gave Pakistan over $97 million to help with flood assistance, food security, and disaster preparedness.
According to the US Embassy spokeswoman, Horst’s visit was a part of an ongoing effort to examine further strategies for aiding Pakistan’s flood recovery and resilience, particularly through the US-Pakistan Green Alliance.
“The United States has appreciated its long-standing bilateral relationship with Pakistan for the past 75 years. We will continue to support the impacted communities as Pakistan works to recover from the floods.”
Fund for Damage and Loss
The announcement of the creation of a fund was made during the COP27 meeting in Egypt last month as a result of the efforts made by the nations affected by climate change.
The “Fund for Loss and Damage” will specifically address losses and damages in developing nations like Pakistan, which were more exposed to the negative effects of climate change.
Resilience is essential for a sustainable future and a growth trajectory, according to Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, who played a significant role in the COP27 conversation process.
She said that it was all about climate justice, not charity, because the developing countries lacked the capacity to handle the climate change-related calamities. She claimed that concerted public campaigning was what ultimately led to the accord.
The minister went on to say that building resilience was also a race against time, pointing out the gravity of the crisis brought on by climate change in the form of artificial lakes and flood-related damage.
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