Despite being responsible for less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan is among the countries worst affected by extreme weather events due to climate change. This summer, it was hit by torrential rains during what the UN chief called "a monsoon on steroids". In just a few weeks, a third of Pakistan was submerged. Some 1,700 people were killed and two million houses were destroyed. In total, 33 million people were affected by the flooding, or 1 in 7 inhabitants. FRANCE 24's Shahzaib Wahlah and Sonia Ghezali report, with the collaboration of Sameer Mandhro.
Pakistan is no stranger to climate disasters. Back in 2010, the country already had to deal with massive floods. Accused of a lack of foresight this year, the Pakistani authorities admitted to being overwhelmed by the scale of the climate disasters that have hit the country amid a serious economic crisis. Islamabad is now asking rich nations to account for their actions. The subject of "loss and damage" is at the centre of discussions at the COP27 climate change conference currently taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.