Pakistani Prime Minister Expresses Frustration Over "Why Us" Feeling

Prime Minister Sharif's UN General Assembly Speech
"Countries Emitting High Levels of Greenhouse Gases Should Support Developing Nations"

Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, is delivering a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the 23rd (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] "Why must our people pay the price for global warming when we have done nothing wrong?"

On the 23rd (local time), Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, posed this question to the world during his speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, USA.

According to Pakistani media such as Dawn, Prime Minister Sharif claimed, "Pakistan is paying a harsh price, suffering catastrophic floods despite having minimal responsibility for causing global warming, such as greenhouse gas emissions."

To strongly emphasize this, the Prime Minister used the term "climate injustice." He stated, "I came to the UN to directly explain the scale and damage of the climate disaster caused by a mega storm unlike anything I have ever seen in my life, which submerged one-third of Pakistan's territory."

The Prime Minister said, "For 40 days, biblical-level floods overwhelmed us, breaking centuries-old weather records and threatening everything we know about disasters and how to manage them." He added, "The undeniable uncomfortable truth is that this disaster was not triggered by any action we took."

Sharif expressed his grievance that Pakistan accounts for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is fighting a crisis it did not create alone.

He also argued that wealthy countries, which are the main emitters of greenhouse gases, should support developing countries suffering from climate change-induced disasters. He further warned, "One thing is clear: what happened in Pakistan will not remain confined to Pakistan."

Looking at greenhouse gas emissions by country, the United States holds the overwhelming top spot in cumulative emissions, while China is currently the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Countries with high cumulative emissions include Russia, Japan, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

South Asia, where Pakistan is located, experiences tropical monsoon rains every summer rainy season. However, due to ongoing climate change, sea temperatures have risen, and glaciers in Pakistan's high mountain areas have melted, causing frequent floods.

Earlier, on the 25th of last month, Prime Minister Sharif declared a state of emergency and described the current floods as "the worst floods in Pakistan's history." He raised his voice, saying, "Even today, the vast waters of this country remain submerged in a sea of man-made suffering. At this 'ground zero' of climate change, 33 million people, including women and children, are exposed to health risks, and 650,000 women are giving birth under temporary tarps."

Sharif conveyed the still unresolved grim reality of Pakistan and called on the international community for help.