UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for massive support to help Pakistan with a multibillion-dollar rebuilding effort following devastating floods, saying the country had been the victim of climate chaos and the global financial system.

Officials from some 40 countries as well as private donors and international financial institutions are gathering for a meeting in Geneva as Islamabad seeks support in what is expected to be a major test case for who pays for climate disasters.

September’s floods, which are still receding, killed at least 1700 people and displaced about eight million people.

“We must match the heroic response of the people of Pakistan with our own efforts and massive investments to strengthen their communities for the future,” Mr Guterres said in opening remarks on Monday.

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“Pakistan is doubly victimised by climate chaos and a morally bankrupt global financial system,” he added, calling for creative ways for developing countries to access debt relief and financing.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a new “coalition of the willing” to provide the country with a lifeline, saying it needed $US8 billion ($12 billion) over the next three years.

In a video message, France President Emmanuel Macron pledged $US10 million ($15 million) in additional aid support.

-Reuters