Over the weekend, I coordinated a letter from MPs to Hamish Falconer MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, following the severe flooding and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The recent monsoon rains have already claimed more than 300 lives, with hundreds more injured or displaced. Rescue and relief operations have been hampered by washed-out roads, landslides and further heavy rainfall is forecast.
Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite contributing less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. More extreme and unpredictable monsoon patterns are increasing the risk of deadly flooding, undermining livelihoods and placing growing pressure on already fragile infrastructure.
In our letter, we asked the Government to:
• Provide an updated assessment of the situation on the ground.
• Confirm current UK engagement with Pakistan’s authorities, the UN and humanitarian partners.
• Outline contingency planning to provide targeted support if the situation worsens.
• Consider measures such as emergency relief funding, technical assistance and support for long-term climate resilience.
