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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. https://x.com/UN_PGA/status/1820805157481046506 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 lavished praise on India for its work in this direction, which has lifted 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 on the touch of a smartphone. Francis emphasised 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. (ANI)
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