UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan needs “strong” support from the international community to deal with the vast devastation left behind by the unprecedented floods in August, pointing out that three times the area of his country – Portugal – was under water, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.

“There is a huge responsibility of the international community to support Pakistan,” the UN chief said when asked about his expectations from the January 9 international conference in Geneva aimed at mobilising support for the flood-hit country for reconstruction work.

The UN secretary general will co-host the conference with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The floods have affected 33 million and killed over 1,700 people.

“I am totally committed to doing everything possible to mobilise the international community to support Pakistan,” he told his year-end press conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

“I’ve been in Pakistan immediately after the floods have occurred,” he said, adding, “I was dramatically impressed by what I’ve seen.”

“Three times the area of my own country flooded, terrible loss of crops and animals and of houses and of life, for the population of Sindh and Balochistan, an absolutely devastating situation, and I believe the international community has a strong responsibility to support Pakistan that has contributed in a very minimal way to climate change”.

Referring to the upcoming Geneva conference, he said it was aimed at fully mobilizing the resources that are needed.

“I was also in recent contact with the IMF and World Bank that hopefully will be also from these two institutions, meaningful action and the Pakistani people, deserves and needs a strong expression of international solidarity,” the UN chief added.