ISLAMABAD: Denmark announced additional humanitarian assistance of 26.7 million Danish Krone to Unicef during the Geneva conference to support the flood relief efforts in Pakistan.

In a statement issued here on Friday, the Danish embassy said that the assistance would provide health, nutrition, WASH, child protection services and education for 10 million children in Pakistan through Unicef Pakistan.

Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy said: “The scale of the destruction is almost beyond comprehension. Yet it is the harsh reality for the 33 million people who were affected by them.

“The floods show all too clearly the severe consequences that climate change has for the world’s most vulnerable people. Denmark has already supported Pakistan with water purification and humanitarian aid in connection with the floods. But more is needed.

“Hence, I am happy that on Monday we announced a further 26.7 million Danish Krone through the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to support the nearly 10 million children, who continue to need humanitarian aid.”

The statement said that Denmark looked forward to further deepening bilateral relations between the two countries and developing a resilient Pakistan.

Last year, super floods impacted the lives of over 33 million people.Abnormal climate events like the floods last year were likely to happen again, Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman cautioned earlier.

“Some 70pc of climate models say climate crisis events may happen again. It is possible that events like droughts, forest fires, and flooding will wreak more havoc,” the minister said last week at a briefing about the Geneva conference.

“We have to make Pakistan climate-resilient, but it requires more resources. The navy, the air force and the army, along with provincial institutions, have a key role in rehabilitation efforts,” said Ms Rehman.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2023