Doubtful Performance
Doubtful Performance: The Loss and Damage Fund (FRLD) launched three years ago to provide rapid financial aid for climate disaster recovery. However, the fund has failed completely. Not a single dollar has reached any devastated country. The fund was designed to give relief within days, but bureaucracy now traps it. Civil society calls the fund “slow, bureaucratic, and unfit.”
Empty Promises
Rich nations promised about $700 million, but only $300 million is actually in hand. For Pakistan, which suffered billions in damage from the 2022 floods, this failure makes the FRLD a hollow promise. The available funds are also heavily restricted. Half of the $300 million goes to small island and least developed states. This leaves Pakistan and others competing for a meager share of roughly $100–$150 million.
Fund Delays
Pakistan still plans to submit small proposals worth up to $20 million at the upcoming COP30. Their Climate Minister confirmed they have not received any funds. The fund’s multi-month project cycle contradicts its core mandate for quick delivery. The World Bank’s interim role worsens the problem; it adds strict procedures and conditions.
North-South Divide
This delay highlights a significant North-South division. Wealthy nations insist on slow, elaborate rules. Vulnerable countries demand quick, grant-based support. This inaction is a profound injustice. Those most responsible for the crisis refuse to finance its fallout. Climate victims wait in despair. Donor nations must fill the fund and remove its blockages. Otherwise, climate justice will drown in paperwork.
Published in Dawn, 7th November 2025
