Statement delivered by H. E. Ms Anna Jardfelt, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN in Geneva
Excellencies, ladies, and gentlemen.
The floods of august 2022 led to devastation beyond belief. The loss of lives, the displacement of people and the damage caused by the flash floods were indeed massive. Pakistan now faces the difficult task of rebuilding the areas devastated by floods.
The government of Pakistan has in a commendable way made every effort to respond to the emergency, while also setting out a clear framework for the difficult work of rebuilding and rehabilitating. Sweden remains committed to support the affected communities in this situation.
While we have gathered today to mobilize support for reconstruction, we must not lose sight of the ongoing and immediate humanitarian needs still faced by many people in Pakistan today. We have not yet moved out of the emergency phase.
Sweden acted early and resolutely and contributed financial support to the humanitarian response already in August. We added further contributions towards the end of the year and have so far contributed 7.5 million USD (78,6 MSEK) to the flood response. Sweden is committed to do more and we plan to make an additional contribution of 7.5 million USD (80 MSEK) through selected humanitarian partners in the coming weeks.
Sweden is also proud to be a top donor of flexible funding to the UN system, which allowed humanitarian agencies in Pakistan to quickly adapt and step up life-saving support for people affected by the floods.
Humanitarian action, however, is designed to complement and support States who have the primary responsibility to protect and assist persons in their territories who are affected by disasters.
It is clear that the floods we are witnessing in Pakistan are a climate driven disaster, that we need to learn from. We need to better plan and adapt to the likelihood that climate change will exacerbate this type of extreme weather. We need to build resilience to future shocks and invest in anticipatory action.
Rebuilding and restoring infrastructure, health and education and other essential public services in a climate resilient manner will require more from all of us. Business as usual is not an option.
Global climate finance must be scaled up. Sweden plays its part as a leading donor of climate finance, and will continue to do so. Our assistance must be truly catalytical, mobilising private capital to enable large scale investments and create new green markets.
Innovation and new technologies should be harnessed. The Swedish Government will explore how the Swedish private sector can contribute with their knowledge and expertise in providing solutions for more resilient communities and help reduce the vulnerability of affected populations.
The difficult task of rebuilding the areas struck by the floods will take time. It is crucial that we as the international community can find ways to support the people of Pakistan in its efforts to build back better.
Thank you.