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Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. photo: file
THE UNITED NATIONS:
Amid dwindling resources, intensifying conflicts and climate shocks, Pakistan has urged the international community to focus on preventing and resolving outstanding disputes, asserting that peace is not just a moral imperative: it is a humanitarian necessity.
“If conflicts are not prevented and resolved, appeals will continue to grow and the humanitarian response will continue to be overstretched,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the General Assembly.
Speaking during a debate on humanitarian assistance, he called for harnessing renewed solidarity and strengthened multilateralism for peace to address the alarming increase in global humanitarian needs, stressing that unresolved conflicts remain the main driver of humanitarian needs.
In this regard, the Pakistani envoy reiterated that humanitarian aid cannot replace political solutions.
“Mechanisms for peaceful dispute resolution, including preventive diplomacy, mediation and the good offices of the Secretary-General, must be strengthened to resolve long-standing conflicts and disputes,” Ambassador Asim Ahmad added.
He highlighted the findings of the UN Global Humanitarian Overview for 2026, noting that 293 million people will need humanitarian assistance 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, avoidable suffering and growing instability.”
Ambassador Asim Ahmad stressed that the humanitarian system is under “unprecedented pressure”, due to entrenched conflicts, record displacement, declining respect for international humanitarian law, increasing casualties among aid workers and escalating climate shocks.
The year’s record heat, droughts and floods pushed millions of people into hunger and displacement, he said.
The Pakistani envoy stressed the urgent need for full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law, protection of civilians and infrastructure, and unhindered humanitarian access.
He denounced the use of starvation, sieges and attacks on medical care, calling for “zero tolerance” for 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 capacity development, simplifying coordination and improving accountability and oversight.
Calling the current funding model unsustainable, Ambassador Ahmad called for predictable multi-year funding and equitable burden sharing. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for expanding common 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 highlighted the importance of strong national systems, disaster risk reduction, shock-responsive social protection and early warning mechanisms.
He stressed that the commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2035 must be delivered through new, additional, predictable and grant-based climate finance, especially for countries on the front lines of climate change, such as Pakistan.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s continued focus on human dignity, he called for prioritizing the protection of women, children, persons with disabilities and displaced populations. He also stressed the need to ensure the safety and support of humanitarian personnel facing unprecedented risks on the ground.
As the UN approaches its 80th anniversary, Pakistan has urged member states to seize this moment as a turning point.
“We cannot accept a future in which humanitarian appeals double, conflicts remain unresolved and climate crises overwhelm communities. »
In conclusion, he called for a reinvented global humanitarian architecture, based on international law, multilateral cooperation and collective engagement, capable of responding to urgent needs.
