UN chief to visit flood-hit Pakistan for solidarity

UNITED NATIONS

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will make a 'solidarity visit' to flood-hit Pakistan on Sept. 9, his spokesman said on Monday.

"With the tragic situation facing millions of men, women and children impacted by historic floods in Pakistan, the Secretary-General will travel to the country next week for a solidarity visit," Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Guterres is expected to arrive in Islamabad and then travel to the areas most impacted by the unprecedented climate catastrophe to meet displaced families, he added.

Pakistan's permanent UN representative Munir Akram welcomed the announcement. "This is a demonstration of his solidarity with the people & Govt of Pakistan in this hour of need & his determination to mobilize the entire UN system to respond to this human catastrophe," he said on Twitter.

Earlier on Tuesday, the UN chief issued a flash appeal for $160 million to help millions of people in the disaster, which has killed more than 1,000 people.

“Pakistan is awash in suffering. The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids — the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding,” Guterres said.