Foreign Minister on tour: Federal Councilor Cassis pledges support to Pakistan

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Switzerland wants to help Pakistan prevent and respond to natural disasters.

The Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (EDA) announced this on Saturday afternoon. The visit of Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis underlines Switzerland’s solidarity with Pakistan after the flood of the century in 2022.

The signed letter of intent promotes better cooperation between the two countries, in particular to pool resources, knowledge and experience in the field of disaster management.

Many affected by disaster

Climate change poses major challenges to the entire South Asian region: in Pakistan, sea levels are rising, rainfall associated with monsoons is increasing and glaciers are melting faster.

According to authorities, more than 1,700 people died in Pakistan’s floods in August last year and eight million people were displaced from their towns and villages because of the flooding. More than two million homes, 13,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 450 bridges and more than 1.6 million hectares of farmland, clinics and drinking water reservoirs were damaged or destroyed.

Before his visit to Pakistan, EDA head Cassis had already visited the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

(SDA/h)

Source:Blick