September 2022, Karachi: His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem the Owner and Chairman of DP World, the largest port operator of the world arrived in Pakistan on invitation of Pakistani celebrity and recent Sitar-e-Imtiaz recipient, Fakhr Alam. While in Pakistan, Sheikh Sultan visited flood affected areas in person to see the impact and devastation of climate change on the country. His Excellency also met with government officials to engage the Pakistani leadership on exploring ways in which the country can cope with adverse climate change issues in the future while also looking into how the DP World Foundation can help.
Sheikh Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem is one of the most successful business leaders of UAE and also serves in multiple capacities to major UAE government entities. Considered as one of the pioneers and highly valued by UAE leadership.
Known to be actively involved in humanitarian activities and relief work, Fakhr Alam has managed to bring His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Sulayem’s attention to the plight of the people of Pakistan. To help the country cope with the destruction caused by the devastating floods, during a special media talk, His Excellency announced a donation of USD 2.5 Million to support the people of Pakistan in this difficult time.
His Excellency stated, “The devastation and impact on Pakistan is heartbreaking. Visiting areas affected by natural disasters always forces you to put things into perspective as you try to fathom the enormity of the situation. It could be months before we understand the scale of the damage. However, for now we must look at the most efficient ways to extend relief to aid local communities in distress. In the longer term, it is a massive wake-up call for the global community to urgently address the tipping points of climate change. I was due to attend the UN General Assembly and UN Climate week in New York to engage with leaders worldwide to discuss how to tackle these issues. However, hearing what happened in Pakistan, I wanted to see for myself what DP World can do now, to contribute to the relief that is so desperately needed. “
Pakistan was battered by record rains and melting glaciers beginning in the middle of June. The floods at one point submerged one-third of the nation of 220 million people, destroying millions of homes and dozens of roads, railways and bridges.
Pakistan produces less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions but its geography makes it extremely vulnerable to climate change. The government already facing an economic crisis, estimates the total financial losses due to the floods to exceed $30bn and has appealed to the global community for help. Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also warned of a looming health disaster in Pakistan.
