During a press conference in Sindh Assembly, Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Khan called upon the international community to help Sindh grapple with its devastating floods. The Minister recently visited Geneva to discuss climate change where she launched a second humanitarian appeal with the UN office. Despite Pakistan making up only one per cent of total carbon emissions, it appears to be bearing most of the cost. 33 million people have been affected by this most recent wave of floods in light of conservative estimates. Sindh, in particular, has become the epicentre of the crisis, with diseases rising out of the water and many still displaced without any access to healthcare or food. While the government has enough room to shelter 598,000 people, an overwhelming 7.9 million are still living in flood-submerged areas. Sindh has been especially vulnerable during the crisis, with 1.2 million displaced in Dadu. An alarming number of people have contracted diarrhoea and more sinister diseases such as malaria. Shelter and food appear to be their primary needs; around 70 per cent of people in the province do not have access to basic hygiene facilities or sufficient water. In fact, the situation is so severe that for the first time in Pakistan’s wretched history with climate change disasters, the Navy has been called in to evacuate affected people via planes and boats. Even in areas where the floodwater has receded, people have left to their own devices to deal with the aftermath. Around 9.4 million acres of crops have similarly been damaged; leaving 14.6 million people without jobs. The never-before-seen floods have also destroyed infrastructure, including roads and bridges, which are crucial for rescue-and-relief operations. Since Pakistan is heavily indebted to the World Bank, it is unlikely that it can deal with the crisis on its own. Earlier this month, Sindh Minister for Information Sharjeel Memon announced that the government had initiated the rehabilitation process but they do not have the resources necessary to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. While the Benazir Income Support Fund has donated Rs 35 billion for flood relief efforts, a lot more money is still required. It is critical that the developed world takes responsibility for its contribution to climate change and help mitigate this catastrophe by lending its wealth to a country that is facing the repercussions of someone else’s actions. *