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Distinguished colleagues,

I am pleased to speak on behalf of the European Union and its 27 Member States.

The Candidate Countries Türkiye, North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, the potential candidate country Georgia, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

Mr. President,

The devastating floods in Pakistan last year were unprecedented in nature. Extreme weather events like this continue to severely impact the most vulnerable. In Pakistan, this included Afghan refugees. Secretary-General Guterres rightfully described the flood waters destroying croplands and homes as “climate carnage”. The aftermath of these floods still affects the Pakistani population today.

This year, floods across all provinces have added more pressure on vulnerable communities that have yet to recover from previous shocks. The alarming humanitarian situation is worsened by an economic crisis and by deteriorating food and nutrition conditions. The EU responded by providing in-kind contributions and technical assistance from eight EU Member States.

We remain committed to supporting the Pakistani people as they recover from these floods, including through the EU’s Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework. We will also continue to support the Pakistani authorities in their disaster preparedness efforts. The EU has just released an additional €1 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the floods that have affected Pakistan in the past weeks, which have directly or indirectly affected some 900,000 people. The funding will help address the most pressing needs of vulnerable people in the areas hit the hardest.

This allocation will be used to provide multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance to those who remain displaced, as well as those who have returned to their place of origin, given the level of damage to houses and key basic services such as water and sanitation or health. As the winter season approaches, multi-purpose cash assistance, shelter and non-food items will be prioritised.

This new funding comes in addition to the €16.5 million already allocated in EU humanitarian assistance to Pakistan earlier this year, in order to assist the most vulnerable population affected by conflict and climate-induced disasters. 

To be prepared for future floods and other climate-related disasters, anticipatory action is key. This approach prioritizes early detection and rapid response to emergencies, as well as community resilience-building, which ultimately minimize vulnerabilities.

The floods also serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change. While the EU is the world’s largest donor of climate finance to developing countries, and will continue to increase its support, solving the climate crisis requires collective efforts from all nations. In addition to adapting to the impact of climate change, we need more donors that contribute to climate action.

Let me conclude by welcoming the adoption of the UNGA Resolution on solidarity with Pakistan in the context of the 2022 floods.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.