STORYLINE

A $160 million emergency plan to help Pakistan deal with devastating flooding has been launched by the United Nations, aiming to reach “5.2 million of the most vulnerable people in the country”.

An estimated 33 million people have been affected by the “worst flooding in decades "and more than 1,000 people, mostly children”, have died since mid-June when heavy rains “pounded the country,” Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said on Tuesday.

The six-month plan was announced by UN Secretary General António Guterres in a video message for the launch of the appeal in Islamabad and Geneva. According to Mr. Laerke,  “500,000 people displaced by the floods are sheltering in relief camps … nearly one million homes have been damaged and over 700,000 livestock have been lost”. The humanitarian situation has also been compounded by severe impacts to infrastructure. Damage to “nearly 3,500 km of roads” and “150 bridges” has impeded the ability of people to flee to safer areas, as well as compromising the delivery of aid to people in need. 

According to the OCHA spokesperson the plan focuses on three key objectives: “first, delivering lifesaving and livelihood assistance, such as health services, food, clean water and shelter. Secondly, to prevent large outbreaks of communicable diseases such as cholera and assist small children and their mothers with nutrition.” The third aim is to ensure that “people can access assistance and protection in a way that is both safe and dignified, including family tracing”.

Matthew Saltmarsh, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesperson, told reporters in Geneva that to date, the agency’s response has focused on “emergency provision going into the affected regions and providing emergency relief items. These include primarily shelter items, but also, “cooking stoves, blankets, solar lamps.”  

“So far, we've delivered $1.5 million worth of aid, but much, much more will be needed in the coming weeks and also over the medium term, including development assistance,” Mr. Saltmarsh said.

Pakistan has endured severe monsoon weather since June, which saw rainfall levels 67 per cent above normal in that month alone, OCHA said in a statement. As of 27 August, rainfall in the country has been equivalent to 2.9 times the national 30-year average. To date, 72 districts across Pakistan have been declared “calamity-hit” by the government. Amid ongoing rains, the number of calamity-declared districts is expected to increase. “When we hear flooding, we very often just think about people drowning, but it's so much more to it,” said Christian Lindmeier, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson. “You have to crush injuries from the debris floating in the water. You have electrical shocks from wires… you have the lack of drinking water,” which is “not only a problem for the immediate situation, but for the medium situation as well”. The WHO spokesperson also warned that “at least 888 health facilities have been severely affected…180 of which are completely damaged at this point”.

According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 and Climate Watch, Pakistan is among the 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events, despite its very low carbon footprint. According to Clare Nullis, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spokesperson, the deadly flooding is “the footprint of climate change where it is becoming more extreme”. In March and April, Pakistan “was in the grips of this devastating heat wave and drought” and now “the pendulum has swung”, she warned.

ENDS

STORY: Pakistan Appeal OCHA - WHO - WMO - UNHCR
TRT: 03:46”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 30 August 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

1. Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
2. Medium shot, press room with panel of speakers.
3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for OCHA: “With the government of Pakistan, the United Nations is today launching a $160 million plan to respond to the devastating floods in Pakistan, the worst in decades. Since June, heavy rains have pounded the country and an estimated 33 million people are affected. According to the government, over 1000 people have died, amongst them, hundreds of children. Nearly one million homes have been damaged and over 700,000 livestock have been lost.”
4. Close up, journalists listening.
5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for OCHA: “Some 500,000 people displaced by the floods are sheltering in relief camps with many more living with host families. Access to assistance is difficult due to the flooding and landslides, with around 150 bridges washed away and nearly 3,500 kilometres of roads damaged.”
6. Medium shot, journalists taking notes.
7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for OCHA: “The six-month emergency plan, which is launched simultaneously from Islamabad and Geneva right now, as I speak, aims to reach 5.2 million of the worst affected and the most vulnerable people.”
8. Medium shot, cameraman.
9. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for OCHA: “The plan focuses on three key objectives: first, delivering life-saving and livelihood assistance, such as health services, food, clean water and shelter, complementing the government's response. Secondly, prevent large outbreaks of communicable diseases such as cholera, and assist small children and their mothers with nutrition. And third, making sure that people can access assistance and protection in a way that is both safe and dignified, including family tracing.”
10. Close up shot, screen showing speakers.
11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Matthew Saltmarsh, Spokesperson for UNHCR: “Our recent and initial response has focused on that emergency provision going into the affected regions and areas and providing those emergency relief items, particularly shelter items, but also, you know, cooking stoves, blankets, solar lamps and so on. So far we've delivered $1.5 million worth of aid, but much, much more will be needed in the coming weeks and also over the medium term, including development assistance.”
12. Close up shot, staff monitoring.

13.SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Christian Lindmeier, Spokesperson for WHO: “When we hear ‘flooding’, we very often just think about people drowning, but it's so much more to it. You have crush injuries from the debris floating in the water. You have electrical shocks from wires going around. You have the lack of drinking water, of course, and that's not only a problem for the immediate situation, but for the medium situation as well.”
14. Close up shot, screen showing speakers.
15. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Christian Lindmeier, Spokesperson for WHO: “You have health facilities [that] have been severely affected. At least 888 health facilities, what a number, have been damaged in the country, of which 180 of them are completely damaged at this point.”
16. Medium shot, journalists taking notes.
17. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, Spokesperson for WMO: “This is the footprint of climate change where it is becoming more extreme. And just if you could cast your mind back to March, April time, you remember that Pakistan was in the grips of this devastating heatwave and drought. And so, you know, the pendulum has swung.”
18. Close up shot, camera screen, speaker in the background.
19. Close up shot, journalist taking notes.
20. Wide shot, briefing room with journalist.