UNGA President Dennis Francis Urges Climate Action After Disasters in India, China, DPRK, and Pakistan
Dennis Francis, the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, expressed his grief over the loss of lives and devastation caused by natural disasters in India and other countries across the world. Highlighting the rise in natural disasters, the UNGA President said it shows the need to urgently act on climate commitments.
“Alarmed and saddened by the lives lost and devastation caused by recent floods in India, China, DPRK, and Pakistan. The increasing frequency and severity of such natural disasters across the world require that we act urgently on our climate commitments to halt this crisis. My thoughts are with all those affected,” the UNGA President said in a post on X.
The Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Kerala’s Wayanad were hit by massive landslides on July 30, claiming over 300 lives and creating widespread property damage. 226 bodies and 181 body parts have been recovered so far and 180 people are still missing, according to officials.
Earlier in October 2023, Pakistan was hit by massive floods that killed over 1700 people and caused economic damage worth USD 15.2 billion. Meanwhile, flooding and landslides triggered by the incessant monsoon have also ravaged large parts of North Korea in recent weeks, destroying thousands of homes and displacing several people. China, too, has been suffering from multiple landslides for some time. Incidents like landslides and floods have killed over 150 people around China in the past two months. Chinese authorities also said that the country has experienced the highest number of significant floods in a long time.
Last month, the UNGA President praised India for its work in lifting 800 million people out of poverty in the last 5-6 years. He highlighted how people in rural areas of India are able to make payments and pay bills just with the touch of a smartphone. Francis emphasized the high internet penetration in India as a major factor why India has been able to benefit but not many other countries of the Global South.
Doubts Revealed
UNGA -: UNGA stands for the United Nations General Assembly. It’s a big meeting where countries from all over the world come together to talk about important issues.
Dennis Francis -: Dennis Francis is the person who is currently leading the UN General Assembly. He helps organize and guide the discussions among countries.
Climate Action -: Climate action means doing things to help protect our planet from problems like global warming and pollution. This can include using less plastic, planting trees, and using clean energy.
DPRK -: DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is another name for North Korea. It’s a country in East Asia.
Natural Disasters -: Natural disasters are events like floods, earthquakes, and landslides that can cause a lot of damage and hurt people. They happen because of natural processes on Earth.
Poverty Reduction -: Poverty reduction means making efforts to help people have enough money and resources to live a good life. This can include creating jobs and providing education.
Digital Advancements -: Digital advancements are improvements in technology, like better internet and new gadgets. These help people connect and do things more easily.
Internet Penetration -: Internet penetration means how many people in a country have access to the internet. High internet penetration means a lot of people can go online.
