UNITED NATIONS: The UN said on Monday that so far donors have fulfilled only 40 per cent of the pledges they made at an international conference early this year to help the victims of last year’s floods in Pakistan.

“Missing because people have not given it,” said UN spokesman Stéphane Duj­arric when asked at a news briefing in New York why most of the money pledged in January was still missing. “If the appeal is only 40pc funded, by my maths, that means we still need 60pc,” he said. “Those cou­n­tries that have the money have not stepped up.”

In January, international donors met in Geneva and committed over $9bn to help Pakistan recover from floods last year.

Responding to a question about journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder in Kenya, spokesperson Duja­rric said the UN called for a transparent investigation, but “did not make a formal request to keep the UN informed”. “We have not heard anything back. We have to check what’s the status now.”

Asked for comments on the registration of 75 new cases against former PM Imran Khan, the spokesperson recalled that the UN secretary general had called for de-escalation of political tensions in Pakistan and he had nothing to add to the SG’s statement.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2023