ISLAMABAD, Dec 9 (APP): Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday stressed the need for a time-responsive, well-funded, and strategically robust emergency response system.
The minister of state, speaking at High-Level Pledging Event of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), held in a hybrid format in New York, also emphasized the impartiality and non-politicization of such a humanitarian response system.
She was speaking virtually at the event, at the invitation of the United Nations.
Recalling the humanitarian impact of the recent devastating climate-induced floods in Pakistan, Hina Rabbani acknowledged and appreciated the critical assistance provided by the CERF.
She echoed the UN Secretary-General’s call for scaled-up funding to CERF, enabling it to assist the developing countries braving climate-induced disasters.
The High-Level Pledging Event was organized at the UN Headquarters in New York to garner international attention and support to the CERF enabling it to respond to emergency humanitarian needs across the globe.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, inaugurated the event.
The minister of state was also joined by the foreign minister of Finland and Somalia’s Special Envoy for Drought Response and Humanitarian Affairs.
Established in 2005 as the UN global emergency response fund, CERF enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance, wherever required.
Pakistan has been a beneficiary and a regular contributor to the Fund. In response to the recent flooding, CERF allocated 10 million USD to Pakistan for life-saving humanitarian activities.
