UNITED NATIONS, Dec 11 (APP): Amid shrinking resources, intensifying conflicts and climate shocks, Pakistan has urged the international community to focus on preventing and resolving outstanding disputes, saying peace is not only a moral imperative — it is a humanitarian necessity.
“Unless conflicts are prevented and resolved, appeals will continue to grow and humanitarian response will continue to be overstretched,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, told the General Assembly.
Speaking in a debate on Humanitarian Assistance, he called for harnessing renewed solidarity and strengthened multilateralism to peace in order to address the alarming rise in global humanitarian needs, emphasizing that unresolved conflicts remain the primary driver of humanitarian need.
In this regard, the Pakistani envoy reiterated that humanitarian assistance cannot substitute for political solutions.
“Mechanisms for peaceful settlement of disputes, including preventive diplomacy, mediation, and good offices of the Secretary-General must be strengthened to resolve longstanding conflicts and disputes,” Ambassador Asim Ahmad added.
He highlighted findings from the UN’s 2026 Global Humanitarian Overview, noting that 293 million people will require humanitarian support in 2026, while current resources allow aid to reach only 135 million.
This growing gap, he stressed, is not an abstract deficit but a matter of “lost lives, preventable suffering, and deepening instability.”
Ambassador Asim Ahmad underscored that the humanitarian system is under “unprecedented strain,” driven by entrenched conflicts, record displacement, declining respect for international humanitarian law, increasing aid worker casualties, and escalating climate shocks.
The year’s record-breaking heat, droughts, and floods have pushed millions into hunger and displacement, he pointed out.
The Pakistani envoy emphasized the urgent need for full respect of international humanitarian and human rights law, protection of civilians and infrastructure, and unimpeded humanitarian access.
He denounced the use of starvation, sieges, and attacks on medical care, calling for “zero tolerance” of such violations and greater accountability.
Supporting the proposed humanitarian reset, he stressed that any reform must be shaped by member state ownership rather than technocratic processes. He added that the reformed system must be efficient, flexible and predictable with a focus on developing capacity, simplifying coordination, and improving accountability and oversight.
Calling the current financing model unsustainable, Ambassador Ahmad urged predictable, multi-year funding and fair burden-sharing. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for expanding pooled mechanisms such as the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and promoting innovative financing tools, including debt-for-climate or debt-for-development swaps.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad emphasized the importance of strong national systems, disaster risk reduction, shock-responsive social protection, and early warning mechanisms. He underscored that the commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2035 must be honoured through new, additional, predictable, and grant-based climate finance, particularly for countries on the frontlines of climate change — such as Pakistan.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s consistent focus on human dignity, he called for prioritizing the protection of women, children, persons with disabilities, and displaced populations. He also highlighted the need to ensure safety and support for humanitarian personnel facing unprecedented risks in the field.
As the United Nations approaches its 80th anniversary, Pakistan urged Member States to seize this moment as a turning point.
“We cannot accept a future where humanitarian appeals double, conflicts remain unresolved, and climate crises overwhelm communities.”
In conclusion, he called for a reimagined global humanitarian architecture built on the basis of international law, multilateral cooperation, and collective commitment — one that is capable of responding to urgent needs.