Global economic growth is declining to about 2.5 per cent this year, the UN said. Apart from the initial COVID-19 crisis three years ago, and the global financial crisis in 2009, this represents the weakest level since 2001.
Given the size of the contribution of cities to national economies, the future of many countries will be determined by their productivity.
“Building greater resilience and better protecting vulnerable populations requires far greater investments in sustainable infrastructure, early warning systems, and affordable, adequate housing for all,” he said.
“At the same time, we must work to improve access to electricity, water, sanitation, transport, and other basic services – while investing in education, skills development, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship.”
In this regard, “local action is vital, and global cooperation indispensable,” he added.
Planet urbanizing rapidly
The push for more resilient, safe and inclusive cities is among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which point the way to a fair, just and green future for all people and the planet by 2030.
Currently, more than half the world lives in cities, which is projected to rise to 70 per cent by 2050. Over one billion are living in slums, and their numbers will also increase.
Speaking at the official ceremony for World Habitat Day in Baku, Azerbaijan, the head of the UN’s urban development agency said countries are “far behind” in achieving SDG 11. The biggest challenge is data reporting and monitoring at the national and local levels.
Fair financing
Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, recalled that at the recent SDG Summit at UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General urged world leaders to strengthen both multi-level governance and cooperation.
She also drew attention to “the elephant in the room” – financing – noting that the issue was raised by most delegates at the UN General Assembly last month.
“As the Secretary General said, we need to reform the current unsustainable and unfair financial system,” she told participants.
“We cannot expect least developed and small island developing states to implement the SDGs as well as climate adaptation measures if 70 per cent of their total revenues are used to service debt.”
Ms. Sharif said UN-Habitat is working with over 600 cities in all regions of the world and will finalize a position paper on financing sustainable urbanization.
Urban October
World Habitat Day has been commemorated annually since 1986.
It marks the start of Urban October, which provides an opportunity for people everywhere to join the global conversation around the potentials and perils of a planet that is becoming ever more urban.
More than 170 people were killed and over 200 more injured, many with grievous burns and in a critical condition, in an explosion at a crowded fuel depot along the route taken by those entering Armenia last Monday.
‘Heart-breaking’ scenes
WHO Special Envoy Robb Butler, who visited a burns treatment centre in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, described the suffering as “heart-breaking”.
“Every single bed in this 80-bed hospital is occupied with a survivor from the explosion in Karabakh. Health workers here are working hard to treat and rehabilitate them, but this is a small country with limited capacity, and the needs are immense.”
The UN health agency, for its part, is bringing in burns kits as well as mobilizing international support to deploy burns specialist to support the needs there. It is also gauging how it can best support rehabilitation for the survivors in the medium and longer term.
Addressing needs
Alongside support to the victims of the fire, WHO is providing refugees with vital health services, including mental health and psychosocial support.
It is setting up modular prefabricated clinics, and is supporting the Armenian Government integrate health workers, including about 300 doctors and 1,200 nurses – who arrived as of Saturday from the Karabakh region – into primary healthcare centres and hospitals in Armenia. It is also sending medicines for non-communicable diseases, which will cover three months of treatments for up to 50,000 persons.
According to latest estimates, about 100,000 people have crossed into Armenia. Working with the authorities and partners, UN teams on the ground are supporting the arrivals.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has established a children’s’ safe space in Goris, serving nearly 300 children every day along with their parents. It offers a space for children to play, a breastfeeding space for mothers, and paediatric support to help with acute concerns.
The World Food Programme (WFP), UN’s emergency food relief agency is providing people with hot meals, food parcels and food cards, while the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is supporting the Government with technical equipment, including laptops and tablets, to facilitate registration.
It also provided essential relief items such as foldable beds and mattresses for refugees.
“Costa Rican society does not teach us that there are indigenous people in this country,” she said. “It is a form of discrimination, making the existence of indigenous peoples invisible.”
Amid an alarming trend of spiraling hate speech and discrimination online platforms, Costa Rica, with UN support, has been designing Latin America’s first ever strategy to fight back, Poised to unveil the powerful tool by the end of 2023, the landmark strategy aims at laying the foundation for new national policies,
“We must not let expressions of hate, violence, and discrimination become normalized in public and digital spaces,” Costa Rica’s Communication Minister Jorge Rodríguez explained when announcing the strategy’s unveiling. “Today, we recognize that decisive action is required from the State, but also from all social actors to address this great challenge.”
Targeted people are ‘scared’
Attempts to unravel the social fabric may be virtual, but the threats are real. An artificial intelligence (AI) driven UN study earlier this year detected more than 1.4 million messages and conversations related to hate and discrimination on Costa Rica’s social media platforms, a 255 per cent spike since 2021.
Allegra Baiocchi, the UN Resident Coordinator the country, said her team realized that most hate content targeted women, particularly those in leadership positions, LGBTQ issues, and migrants.
“When we started speaking to women and some of the people who had been targeted, they told us that they felt scared, scared to express their opinions,” she said.
After the UN urged immediate action, Costa Rica stepped up, laying the groundwork for a safe digital space for all, which can act as a replicable blueprint for fighting hate online around the world.
Multi-pronged approach
Aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s priorities to stamp out hate and led by a multidisciplinary expert team from the UN and the Government, the new strategy will provide solutions to stop these scourges from spreading online, from determining responsibilities, creating new monitoring, and identifying areas of action.
“With the launch of this process of creating a national strategy, we are taking a step in the right direction,” Ms. Baiocchi said.
Steps already taken include the recent launch of a guide to confront digital violence against women in politics. In the same vein, the Government established an observatory on hate speech with the University of Costa Rica, passed a law protecting women in politics, and forged a partnership with the Lawyers Committee Association, who studied laws on hate speech evolving around the world and produced a handbook for those affected.
“In Costa Rica, if you’ve been a victim of hate speech, you can go to this handbook and see what is already available for you to protect yourself,” said Ms. Baiocchi, highlighting other such ongoing initiatives as teaching debate in schools.
“Fundamentally, the message behind any work on hate speech and discrimination…is about being able to respect each other and coexist,” she said.
That approach is in line with UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ aim of crushing hate speech online and off. In response to trends of growing xenophobia, racism and intolerance, violent misogyny, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim hatred around the world, the Secretary-General launched the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech in 2019.
“If left unchecked,” he said, “hate speech can even harm peace and development, as it lays the ground for conflicts and tensions, wide scale human rights violations.”
Find out more about how the UN is helping Costa Ricans here.
Subscribe to our podcast series, UNiting Against Hate, here.
A further 70 people were injured in Friday’s attacks at the Hangu mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and at a religious procession in Mastung, Balochistan.
“It is particularly abhorrent that the attacks occurred at a place of worship and during the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement.
He reiterated UN’s solidarity with the Government and people of Pakistan in their efforts to address terrorism and violent extremism.
‘Criminal and unjustifiable’
Members of the UN Security Council also condemned the attacks “in the strongest terms”, stressing that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.
“Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed,” they said in a statement.
Council members urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of Pakistan and other relevant authorities to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.
Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), also denounced the attacks, reiterating “houses of worship are sacred places where worshipers should be able to practice their faith safely and freely.”
Agreed at the fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5), in Bonn, Germany, the Global Framework on Chemicals sets concrete targets and guidelines across the lifecycle of chemicals.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), welcomed the new framework.
“Everyone on this planet should be able to live and work without fear of falling sick or dying from chemical exposure. Nature, free from pollution, should be able to thrive and support humanity for millennia to come,” she said.
“This is why this framework provides a vision for a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste, for a safe, healthy and sustainable future.”
Concrete targets
The framework is based around 28 targets, designed to improve responsible management of chemicals and waste. These targets also aim to establish stronger connections with other important global agendas, including climate change, biodiversity, human rights and health.
Governments have committed to setting up policies and regulations aimed at reducing chemical pollution by 2030 as well as promoting safer alternatives. Industries also pledged to managing chemicals in a manner that reduces pollution and its adverse impacts.
By 2035, the framework aims to phase out highly hazardous pesticides in agriculture where the risks have not been managed.
Bonn Declaration
In addition to the Global Framework, the Conference also adopted the Bonn Declaration.
The Declaration aims to “prevent exposure to harmful chemicals, and phase out the most harmful ones, where appropriate, and enhance the safe management of such chemicals where they are needed.”
It also encourages countries to support the transition to circular economies, fostering the development of safe alternatives and substitutes for chemicals.
This approach aims to not only safeguard health and the environment but also reduce waste and enhance recycling efforts.
Act immediately
Ms. Andersen urged all parties to start acting immediately.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that direct chemical pollution of the air, land, water and workplace is causing two million deaths per year,” she said.
“As any athlete will tell you, beating a target is better than meeting a target, so I call on governments, the chemicals industry and everyone involved to go above and beyond what has been agreed to protect people and the planet upon which we all depend.”
Having previously endured conflict in Afghanistan, Ali comprehended the far-reaching implications of large-scale military actions on the lives of civilians.
Immediately after the start of the Ukraine war, Ali and his wife, the owners of a small clothing store in Odessa, began to engage in relief work and donate clothes to people who had been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict,
He told UN News about his work for The Tenth of April relief organization which works alongside the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in Ukraine.
“Twenty-four years ago, my parents took me and my brother and sister and moved from Afghanistan, fleeing war and persecution. This country became our new home.
We are more concerned and worried about the situation in Ukraine than in Afghanistan, and we are trying to help as much as we can.
At such a moment, when the country desperately needs help, it is necessary to get involved, to do something good.
Now I work a lot with people who suffer from shelling in Odessa oblast. We distribute humanitarian aid, which is extremely necessary for the affected people.
With each passing day, we see an increasing number of people seeking assistance.
I can speak a number of languages, so I am able to work with The Tenth of April to aid refugees and asylum seekers who had earlier fled to Ukraine to seek protection. I am now engaged as a social worker and logistician.
Frontline destruction
What is happening in the villages near the frontline is simply terrible. Everything is broken there, Houses are destroyed. People barely survive there.
Gratitude in people’s eyes inspires me the most. Because of it, I forget about tiredness. A girl, an internally displace person from a family from Kherson, once gave me a yellow-blue ribbon, which she made herself, and it touched me very much. Such moments are unforgettable.
Staff members of this organization supported my family when we were asylum seekers in Ukraine, I saw how committed they were to their work.
My wife and 15-year-old son do not want to leave Ukraine and are trying to help however they can.
Recently, during the distribution of construction materials among the residents of the house that was damaged during the shelling in Odessa, my son went to the distribution and helped unload, and he was with me until night.
Today, among my colleagues are internally displaced people from Kherson, from Mykolaiv. I see that they put their heart into everything they do, and this inspires me to work as best as possible and do more.”
How UNHCR is helping Ukrainians
The UN estimates that 18 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year.
Humanitarian needs are particularly acute for internally displaced persons who have been away from home for a long time and for those who have remained in frontline areas during the war.
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, cooperates with 29 partner organizations, such as The Tenth of April, to help people in need throughout Ukraine.
With the support of its donors, UNHCR aims to help 3.6 million people in Ukraine in 2023.
“Come rain or shine, we’re here because we are committed to our planet”, said Amina Mohammed, addressing the Global Citizen Festival, against the backdrop of the UN General Assembly High Level Week, taking place down the road.
All to play for at halftime
She highlighted the race to reach the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), end the climate crisis, and push for real gender equality.
“What happens today is a reflection of leaders meeting all week, promises made seven years ago, and today we’re recommitting to what the great Al Pacino said, tell it like it is: it’s halftime, and we’re down…but we’re not out!”
She asked the crowd assembled in the green heart of Manhattan if they felt like they were changing the world: “Well at the United Nations, we’re joining you, we are mobilizing people around the world.”
Global Citizen’s main mission is to end extreme poverty, through goals that align fully with the UN and the SDGs.
At the Festival, global leaders pledged $240 million for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), promised to protect a further 900,000 hectares of land in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, and secured promises from nine members of the US Congress, and the leader of the Labour Party in the UK, Kier Starmer, to follow through on national climate commitments.
Struggling to keep promises
The Deputy Secretary-General acknowledged that many around the world are hurting both in “mind and body”, with wars raging, and the planet not just warming – but boiling.
“Leaders are really struggling to use their power to keep the promises of the Global Goals and they risk breaking that promise to billions of people”, she said.
The good news is with seven years remaining to 2030, the game can still be won in the second half, but “we can’t win unless we stop our world from heating up.
Bridge the divide
“We need leaders to bridge the digital divide – because we can’t win if billions of people especially girls are left offline and left behind.”
She said if women and girls are left on the sidelines of the collective effort, that means half the team isn’t even on the field.
“So New Yorkers, it’s crunch time. But crunch time is when champions are made”, she said.
“Let’s unite and fight together – inch by inch – to keep the promise of achieving the Global Goals by 2030.”
Sergey Lavrov said power was slipping through the hands of the old order, dominated by Washington, which has long rejected the principle of equality.
Americans and Europeans “make all sorts of promises…and then just don’t fulfil them”, he told delegates.
Quoting President Vladimir Putin, he said the West was “truly an empire of lies” which even during the battle against Nazism in World War Two, had plotted an offensive against their Soviet allies.
Soviet and then Russian leaders “were given concrete political assurances regarding the non-expansion of the NATO military alliance to the east”, which turned out to be pure deception.
Washington and Brussels have ceaselessly sought to expand their interests and alliances to subordinate the Global South and East, rejecting Russia’s desire for mutual security guarantees, he stated.
West’s ‘hybrid war against our country’
Turning to Ukraine, he said the West had “continued its ongoing militarisation of the Russophobic Kyiv regime”, brought to power via a “bloody coup” in 2014 and took that opportunity to “wage a hybrid war against our country.”
The aim since then, has been the strategic defeat of Russia he argued, with the US-led offensive now stretching into outer space and disinformation online.
Mr. Lavrov said it was “obvious” that its creation of subordinate alliances was “targeted against Russia and China” in a bid to sabotage more “inclusive” regional forums.
He said even in terms of culture, the anti-colonial “global majority” has had enough of the Western “yoke” and attacks on their religions, traditional values and sovereignty.
He saw Russia and China as defenders of a new multipolar architecture – the ascendent world order – and now the West is doing all it can to block it.
‘Coercive measures’
The Russian Foreign Minister decried US-led use of unilateral sanctions and “coercive measures”, defending Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and others, while Washington continues its effort to “Ukrainize” the international agenda.
He said it was time for full reform of “global governance architecture” including UN-led international financial mechanisms and the United Nations’ key bodies – together with what he said was a Secretariat biased in favour of capitals in NATO and the European Union.
Mr. Lavrov spoke up for Security Council expansion to include Asia, Africa and Latin America.
He said reform needed to be based on a new, balanced consensus, giving the example of the BRICS bloc of economic powers – set to expand beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.
Avoid ‘large scale war’
Mr. Lavrov closed his case with an appeal for compromise, saying “humanity is at a crossroads…It is in our shared interest to prevent a downward spiral into large scale war.”
He invoked the Secretary-General’s call for world leaders to meet and negotiate in the spirit of compromise at this year’s UN General Assembly, “when designing our common future for our common good.”
“This is an excellent response to those who divide our world up into democracies and autocracies and dictate their neocolonial rules to others”, he concluded.
Describing the national vision for 2030, Faisal bin Farhan Al Furhan Al-Saud said it centred on promoting development for future generations and empowering women and young people by developing their creativity.
Human rights are of utmost importance, he said, adding that Saudi Arabia has adopted laws to protect its citizens and is also working on building a better future in the Middle East.
Security hinges on cooperation
Regional security requires a just solution to the Palestinian issue, allowing for an independent State, he said, condemning all unilateral measures that violate international law. Riyadh is also assisting in efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and finding a peaceful solution in Yemen.
Turning to other security concerns, he called for de-escalating the crisis in Sudan, and supported the withdrawal of all foreign forces in Libya.
With regards to Afghanistan, he said that country should not become a haven for terrorist organizations, calling for stepping up regional and international aid to assist in alleviating the suffering of the Afghan people.
Turning to the war in Ukraine, he said the world should “spare no effort to find a peaceful solution”.
Raising concerns about nuclear weapons, he said their elimination is essential.
“Security and stability are not possible without cooperation and coordination between States to prevent an arms race to acquire these destructive weapons,” he stressed.
Underlining national efforts to combat terrorism and extremism, he warned against a rise in Islamophobia and attacks on Muslims. In this vein, he welcomed the position adopted by the Human Rights Council on combating religious hatred.
Climate action
The stability of the global energy market is key to economic growth. For its part, Saudi Arabia is striving to meet the needs of consumers and producers on a global level while working with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Riyadh is also promoting climate adaptation measures and working towards reducing emissions, he said, calling for a gradual transfer to clean energy. However, national and regional circumstances related to sustainable development must be considered.
Noting the launch of the ‘Green Saudi Arabia’ and the ‘Green Middle East’ campaigns to reduce emissions and improve the quality of life, he said Riyadh is using the circular economy approach towards carbon neutrality, having doubled its contributions to this goal. In addition, efforts are under way to promote better governance of water resources.
“We also have an ambitious policy towards the future,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia will host the forthcoming Expo 2030 in Riyadh.
“We’ll focus on prospects for a future focused on technology and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will be an excellent opportunity to promote projects with universal impact that can foster cooperation to find solutions through innovation, inclusiveness, and sustainability.”
Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea painted a grim picture of a planet marred by the unforgiving impacts of climate change. They left no room for equivocation: This is an existential crisis that demands immediate, collective action.
They highlighted the upcoming COP-28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates as an unparalleled opportunity for the world to fulfill its obligations to the planet’s most vulnerable nations.
The leaders, whose respective statements set out their national narratives, also agreed on the pressing need for an overhaul of multilateral institutions and international financial systems, highlighting that the present structures are clearly not fit for 21st century purpose.
Power in solidarity, cooperation
Hamza Abdi Barre, Prime Minister of Somalia, highlighted the “power of solidarity and cooperation” in an interconnected world and urged leaders to accelerate action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He reported on his country’s fight against terrorism and advancing peace.
“We have dealt with an iron fist with extremism,” he said, noting that Somalia managed to clear more than 45 per cent of the areas that were previously occupied by terrorists.
Mr. Barre commended the bravery and sacrifices made by the African Union’s Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and thanked its troop contributing countries.
He expressed Somalia’s commitment to the full implementation of the security transition plan and taking over the full security responsibility once the ATMIS forces depart by the end of 2024.
The Prime Minister also reiterated his country’s call for the removal of arms embargo imposed by UN Security Council in 1992, expressing that Somalia now has the necessary and competent systems to control possession, use and storage of firearms.
Lifting this embargo would allow his country to combat terrorism even more effectively and build a peaceful and prosperous future for its people, he said.
In his address, Mr. Barre also voiced concerns over the sharp increase in armed conflicts and military coups, especially in Africa, and their impact on vulnerable populations.
Are we prepared to work together
Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, asked world leaders: “Do we have the necessary political will to choose global partnership over geopolitical competition [and] are we prepared to work together towards a promising age of shared prosperity?”
The uncomfortable truth, he said, is that policy choices are escalating tensions, poverty and hunger are rising, and progress towards achieving the SDGs is off track.
He also voiced “grave concern” over the threat of nuclear weapons, calling for cooperation to ensure that new technologies such as artificial intelligence are used responsibly.
Turning to global security, the Ethiopian leader emphasized the need for a system that respects the sovereignty of Member States and prevents conflict.
“Reforming the Security Council is not a choice, but an absolute necessity,” he stressed, calling for permanent seats for Africa.
He also showcased Ethiopia’s efforts for sustainable development and climate action, noting its 10-year development plan aligned with the SDGs and the national “Green Legacy Initiative” to ensure development through rural and urban green programmes.
In his address, Mr. Hassen called on States to recommit to the UN Charter, underlining the need for an inclusive multilateral system.
“Maintaining the status quo will not advance our shared interest of ensuring peace and prosperity,” he declared.
Resist temptation to give up
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Djibouti, also stressed the need for strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation.
There is a tendency to “group together into clubs”, he said, adding that this “minilateralism” results in resistance to change in international institutions, compounded by worsening inequality and geopolitical competition.
While this is not irreversible, it does require massive investment to create a system that accounts for current geopolitical realities and reinforce close cooperation, he said.
“We must not give into the temptation to give up,” he said.
Foreign Minister Youssouf also reported that despite a deteriorating global economic situation, Djibouti has made notable progress in reducing malnutrition, managing the pandemic and aligning national policy with the SDGs.
The Government also prioritizes poverty-reduction, sustainable economic growth and access to potable water and sanitation, as well as investments in renewable energy and climate change adaptation.
Of note is the recent inauguration Djibouti’s first ‘wind park’, which will generate 60 megawatts of clean energy, Mr. Youssouf highlighted.
Amid conflicts and crises in all corners of the world, he welcomed the UN-led transfer of oil from the FSO Safer tanker as an example of model international cooperation, stating that the coasts of the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula would have been completely polluted if the region and the world had not acted quickly.
Elevate the United Nations
Osman Saleh Mohammed, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Eritrea, said that the United Nations, as the principal international platform, must be elevated – in terms of structure and mandate – “to a cherished umbrella organization that can fulfil its historic mandate with efficacy and potency.”
In that regard, he stressed that the much-vaunted reform of the Security Council should not be perceived as “nominal tampering” merely limited to increasing the number and geographical representation of new members.
“The architecture of veto power and other institutional distortions that incapacitate the [Council] from exercising its responsibilities … must be examined with the historical track-record,” he said.
Foreign Minister Mohammed also stressed that the “political horse-trading” and the misuse of Security Council membership to advance narrow national interests are not compatible with the solemn responsibility entrusted to the body.
“The criterion of membership should not be confined to, and determined by, mere political and economic clout; population size, etc. Membership in the [Council] must reflect the wide spectrum of Member States in the UN,” he said.
In his address, Mr. Mohammed also denounced the sanctions imposed against his country from 2009 to 2018 was an act of transgression and deceit that required full redress and accountability.
The World Health Organization’s representative to the DRC, Dr Boureima Hama Sambo, warned that in six eastern provinces, health facilities have been set alight, health workers killed and others face constant physical and psychological threats, while supplies have been looted. Heavy rain, flooding and landslides have also compromised aid access.
Dr Sambo said that the DRC is facing its worst cholera outbreak since 2017, with the eastern provinces accounting for 80 per cent of the cases. The country is also battling a major measles epidemic and the combination of measles and malnutrition was particularly deadly for children under five.
The UN health agency official said that WHO has deployed experts to the affected areas to support the authorities in investigating and responding to these outbreaks, delivered medical supplies for cholera treatment, supported transportation of samples to labs for testing, and built cholera treatment centres.
Vaccine campaign
The World Health Organization recently completed a vaccination campaign in Ituri province reaching over one million of children under five, with more campaigns to follow in Kasaï and Mai-Ndombe.
WHO was also providing health services, including access to mental health and psychosocial support, to victims of gender-based violence. Some 23,000 cases were reported in the six provinces from January to August 2023 and Dr Sambo said that the real figures were “probably much higher”.
For a “more sustainable and resilient health response” in Eastern DRC, Dr Sambo called for stronger donor support, as the UN health agency’s response in the region was only 14 per cent funded so far.
Iran: new hijab bill must be shelved: Türk
Staying with the High Commissioner for human rights: Volker Türk said on Friday that Iran’s “draconian” Chastity and Hijab Bill “flagrantly flies in the face of international law” and must be shelved.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addresses the 54th Session of the Human Rights Council.
The bill vastly increases jail terms for offenders and provides for crushing fines on women and girls who do not obey the compulsory dress code.
According to the UN rights office (OHCHR), under the new, “even stricter” bill, now in its final stage of consideration before Iran’s constitutional court, those who do not comply with country’s strict Islamic dress code on head coverings and modest clothing risk up to 10 years in jail.
Those found in breach could also be flogged, as well as fined up to an equivalent of $8,500, subjected to travel restrictions and deprived of online access.
OHCHR called the decree “repressive and demeaning”, insisting that “women and girls must not be treated as second class citizens”.
Russia expert says mandate provides ‘bridge to the Russian people’
The independent UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Russia, Mariana Katzarova, underscored on Friday the importance of her mandate to give a voice to victims of alleged violations in the country.
“Why is my mandate important? Because it’s also the bridge to the Russian people, to the victims, to the civil society, to those who dare speak against the war on Ukraine”, she told reporters in Geneva.
“It’s a voice for the people of the Russian Federation, this mandate.”
The independent Human Rights Council-appointed expert presented her first report to the Council on Thursday, sounding the alarm about what she says is a pattern of suppression of civil and political rights in Russia.
‘Persistent use of torture’
She voiced grave concerns over mass arbitrary arrests and the “persistent use of torture and ill-treatment.”
Citing almost 200 sources from inside and outside the country, the independent expert expressed concern about a lack of judicial independence and right to a fair trial.
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Russia was created by the Human Rights Council in October last year, for a period of one year.
Ms. Katzarova told reporters that she thought a continuation of the mandate would be important, especially amid what she called “dark times for human rights” in Russia.
This is the first time in its history that the Council has authorised a rights expert to investigate rights violations within the borders of one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the so-called “P5”.
Ms. Katzarova stressed that the P5 had a special responsibility to set an example for the rest of the world.
India: UN rights chief welcomes new bill to boost women in parliament
Rights chief Volker Türk welcomed on Friday the passage of a landmark bill in India which will reserve one third of seats in national and state parliaments for women.
The UN rights office (OHCHR) said that the Women’s Reservation Bill will constitutionally entrench women’s representation in parliament and be a “transformative move” for gender equality in India.
Citing India’s example, Mr. Türk called on parliamentarians around the world to adopt legislative measures – including, where necessary, gender quotas – to ensure women’s equal participation in the political discourse.
The new Bill requires ratification by at least 50 per cent of India’s states to enter into force and the UN rights office called for their “swift support” and rapid implementation of the new system.
The fifth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM-5), organized by UN environment programme UNEP and hosted by Germany, kicks off in Bonn on Monday.
“ICCM-5 is expected to be a watershed moment for international cooperation on chemicals and wastes”, said a statement released by the group of more than 30 experts.
‘Once in a generation’ chance
“It is a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a robust outcome to confront the global toxic tide.”
They urged those attending the conference to be guided by human rights principles in line with a “post-2020 global policy framework on the sound management of chemicals and wastes.”
According to the experts, “the threats of infertility, deadly illnesses, neurological and other disabilities resulting from exposure to hazardous chemicals and wastes, reveal the widespread and systematic denial of basic human rights for countless persons and groups in vulnerable situations.”
The experts went on to list people who are mostly exposed to these toxic environments, including workers, women and children, the poor and Indigenous Peoples.
‘Toxification’ must stop
“Humanity cannot afford to further aggravate the toxification of the planet,” the experts added.
“For ICCM-5 to deliver the ambition and strength needed to overcome the global toxic emergency facing humanity, it needs to explicitly embrace a human rights-based approach,” the group of UN experts warned.
Special Rapporteurs and other UN experts are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organisation. They serve in their individual capacity and receive no salary for their work.
Addressing the Assembly’s annual general debate, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, said, “the world cannot afford Cold War 2.0,” because there are a raft of challenges facing humankind that can only be addressed through global cooperation.
Multiple shocks
Indeed, a series of external “shocks” – COVID-19, climate change and conflict – have devastated developing economies, reversed decades of progress, and left hunger and poverty in their wake, he said, and his own country is a “prime illustration” of these shocks.
“The epic floods of last summer submerged a third of our country, killed 1,700 and displaced over eight million people, destroyed vital infrastructure and caused over $30 billion in damage to our economy,” he said.
Considering these formidable challenges, especially for nations facing debt distress, the Prime Minister stressed the urgency of implementing the SDG Stimulus package.
He also called for the expansion of concessional lending by multilateral development banks and urged developed countries to fulfill their commitments for climate finance.
‘Development depends on peace’
Mr. Kakar emphasized the fundamental role of peace in fostering development and expressed Pakistan’s desire for peaceful and productive relations with all neighboring countries, including India.
“Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India,” he said, noting that India “has evaded implementation of the Security Council resolutions that call for the ‘final disposition’ of Jammu and Kashmir to be decided by its people through UN-supervised plebiscite.”
“The UN Security Council must secure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir [and] the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) should be reinforced,” he added, calling on global powers to convince New Delhi to accept Pakistan’s offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons.
The Prime Minister also said that peace in Afghanistan is a strategic imperative for Pakistan, voicing concerns over rights of women and girls in that country.
Counter all terrorists
Mr. Kakar stressed the imperative of countering all forms of terrorism, including far-right extremism and State-sponsored terrorism, while addressing the root causes of terrorism, such as poverty, injustice, and foreign occupation.
He proposed the establishment of a committee within the General Assembly to oversee the balanced implementation of all four pillars of the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy.
Religious intolerance
The Prime Minister also voiced concerns over the rise of Islamophobia and highlighted Pakistan’s efforts, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to combat the issue.
He proposed several measures to combat Islamophobia, including the appointment of a Special Envoy and the creation of an Islamophobia Data Center.
Strengthened global cooperation
Concluding his remarks, Prime Minister Kakar highlighted the importance of multilateralism within the framework of the United Nations and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing global cooperation.
To build and sustain peace, today and in the future, “it is vital to reduce power rivalry and tensions”, he said, while adhering to the UN Charter and implementing Security Council resolutions.
According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), this represents between $1,179 and $1,383 per person, per year.
The study factors in 50 SDG indicators across 90 countries, covering three quarters of the global population.
For the world’s 48 developing economies, the shortfall is estimated at $337 billion annually, if they are to take the required action on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
When expanded to cover all developing economies, using the median per-capita cost for the 48 in the study, total annual needs ris to between $6.9 trillion and $7.6 trillion.
Think smart
Although finding this kind of investment will likely be extremely difficult for countries with limited resources, the solution lies in allocating funding in cross-cutting areas, such as education, which also advances gender equality, poverty reduction and innovation – all Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.
“Merely increasing funds won’t guarantee success. Governments, companies, investors and institutions need to strategically allocate their resources,” said Anu Peltola, who heads UNCTAD Statistics. “They don’t have to stretch every dollar to cover every goal.”
Debt crisis
Analysis by UNCTAD indicates that the world’s wealthiest economies are expected to account for nearly 80 per cent of SDG expenditure between now and 2030. These countries generally face the highest annual per capita costs and the largest financing gaps.
Small island developing States also face high costs, with required spending on gender equality estimated at $3,724 per person, almost three times the average global requirement.
And while least developed countries face much lower costs per head, the required spending as a percentage of each nation’s overall economic output (GDP) is significant, reaching 47 per cent for education alone.
The UNCTAD analysis reveals major shortfalls in national spending trends towards sustainability. The biggest gap is in inclusive digitization, at $468 billion a year. Closing this gap would require a 9 per cent increase in annual spending.
Six areas of transformation
Conversely, improving social protection and decent job opportunities require less investment for the world’s 48 developing economies, at $294 billion, which would require a six per cent increase in annual spending.
The analysis focuses on six paths for transformation through sustainable development: social protection and decent jobs, transforming education, food systems, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, energy transition and inclusive digitization.
It covers indicators ranging from reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing protected forest cover to guaranteeing universal access to electricity and the internet, promoting literacy, fighting hunger and reducing mortality.
UNCTAD’s report also highlights the need to tackle the global debt crisis. Around 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on debt interest payments than on essential public services such as education and health.
Since the start of the war, Ukrainian ports in the Black and Azov seas were blocked by Russia and its ports on the Danube River targeted by drones and missiles, he said.
“It is a clear Russian attempt to weaponize the food shortage on the global market, in exchange for recognition of some, if not all, of the captured territories.”
As scary as nukes
The impact of that weaponization could be seen from Africa to South-East Asia, he said.
“Nukes are not the scariest thing now. Mass destruction is gaining momentum. The aggressor is weaponizing many other things … things that are being used not only against our country but also yours as well,” he said, adding:
“There are many conventions against weapons but none against weaponization … of global food supplies and energy.”
President Zelenskyy further said that while Russia undermines the Black Sea Initiative, Ukraine continues to support it to ensure food security globally, having launched a temporary sea corridor from its ports and working to preserve land routes for grain exports.
Hatred doesn’t stop at one country
He added that Russia was conducting mass kidnapping and deportation of Ukrainian children, making it a clear case of genocide. In Russia, he continued, the children are taught to hate Ukraine and all ties broken with their families.
“When hatred is weaponized against one nation, it never stops there,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader also said that he will present a Ukrainian peace formula at the Security Council on Wednesday to serve as a framework to end aggression on terms set by the victimized country in an open manner.
Urging unity among countries President Zelenskyy said that while Russia is “pushing the world to the final war”, Ukraine is doing everything to ensure that after this Russian aggression, “no one in the world will dare to attack any nation.”
“Every nation must be restrained, war crimes must be punished, deported people must come back home, and the occupier must return to their own land,” he said.
With world leaders set to convene next week for the annual high-level opening of the General Assembly, the UN’s Midtown East campus on the weekend was host to an energetic range of actors – from youth groups and women’s organizations, to mayors, community activists and business leaders – looking to boost support for the Goals ahead of the SDG Summit.
The Summit on 18-19 September will mark the mid-point of the SDGs, between their 2015 launch and their 2030 deadline.
2030 Goals are off-track
As things stand, the Goals and UN member countries’ promise when they adopted the 2030 Agenda to ‘leave no one behind’ are in serious trouble: despite some progress, over the years widespread implementation gaps have emerged across all 17 Goals, which aim to tackle everything from poverty, hunger and gender equality, to access to education and clean energy.
Lagging public interest in achieving the Goals, geopolitical friction and perhaps most critically, the global coronavirus pandemic, have left the SDGs in need of a global rescue plan.
“Today, only 15 per cent of the targets are on track, with many going into reverse,” said the Secretary-General, adding that: “Monday’s SDG Summit will be the moment for governments to come to the table with concrete plans and proposals to accelerate progress.”
Not just ‘checking boxes’
But he stressed that the SDGs are not about checking boxes.
“They are about the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people and the health of our natural environment. They are about righting historic wrongs, healing global divisions and putting our world on a path to lasting peace,” stated the UN chief.
Everyone needs to step up to help revive the Goals and ensure a better life for people and the planet.
Mr. Guterres went on to salute the courage and conviction of the activists in attendance, saying that he knew their global fight for the SDGs “comes at a risk to your safety … liberty [and] even your life.”
“I urge you to keep going,” he said, and similarly urged members of the business community in attendance “to see that sustainable development is best business plan of all”.
“To the women and young people joining us – keep calling out for change in your communities and fighting for your rights and a place at every table, the Secretary-General said.
Finally, the UN chief said: “To the local authorities here – the SDGs will not be rescued in New York. They will be rescued in your communities. So continue listening to the people in your communities and embedding their needs and concerns across your policies and investments.”
“This is not a Vanity Fair. This is a political body in which governments are represented,” he told UN News in an exclusive interview.
“What matters is that [countries] are represented by someone that can [rise to] the present moment,” he said, and added: “So I’m not so worried about who’s coming. What I’m worried [about] is making sure the countries that are here … are ready to assume the commitments necessary to make the Sustainable Development Goals that unfortunately are not moving in the right direction a reality.”
Here, Mr. Guterres emphasized the need to reform the current “unjust, dysfunctional and outdated” global finance system to ensure the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.
He recalled his $500 billion SDG Stimulus proposal to support developing nations to make sure they have the resources they need to achieve the SDGs.”
Action on climate change
The UN chief further said that his 2023 Climate Ambition Summit will provide an opportunity for countries, businesses, and civil society to step up their efforts to reign in runaway climate change.
In a notable departure from standard practice where countries are front and centre, this Summit will give a platform to what the Secretary-General referred to as “frontliners”, those that are the most committed to climate action, and can share the best practices.
“We are moving to 2.6-2.8°C of global temperature rise by the end of the century,” he warned, stressing the urgency of returning to the goal of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
“It is still possible with political will – but a lot needs to be done,” Mr. Guterres emphasized.
Pushing for peace in Ukraine
As for the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Secretary-General reiterated that the central objective is to secure peace, which is just and in line with the UN Charter and international law.
However, he cautioned against undue optimism, acknowledging that current conditions may not favour a “serious dialogue” on peace.
“I think the parties are far from that possibility at the present moment, but we will never, never stop our efforts to make sure that peace comes to Ukraine,” he stressed.
Spotlight on public health
Mr. Guterres also spoke about the unprecedented three ministerial-level talks next week on global public health: pandemic preparedness, universal health coverage, and tuberculosis.
“Universal health coverage is an essential objective of the UN,” he said and added that “it requires not only the UN system to work, but also requires financial systems to be much fairer than they are today.
Mr. Guterres also stressed that “one of the things that I believe is essential is increase the resources and the power of the World Health Organization.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed that message, warning that record temperatures and extreme weather were “causing havoc” around the world.
The global response has fallen “far short”, Mr. Guterres insisted, just as latest UN data indicates that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are only 15 per cent on track at the midway point of the 2030 Agenda.
‘Supercharge progress’ on SDGs
According to WMO, current policies will lead to global warming of at least 2.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the course of this century – well above the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C.
This year’s northern hemisphere summer has been the hottest on record, prompting the UN chief last week to reiterate his call for a “surge in action”.
In his foreword to the report, Mr. Guterres underscored that weather, climate, and water-related sciences can “supercharge progress on the SDGs across the board”.
Lives in the balance
The United in Science report, which combines expertise from 18 UN organizations and partners, shows how climate science and early warnings can save lives and livelihoods, advance food and water security, clean energy and better health.
After recent flooding in Libya that has claimed thousands of lives, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas stressed that a lack of adequate forecasting capacity can have deadly consequences for a country when faced with extreme weather events.
He highlighted the risky situation developing in Sudan, where conflict has crippled the agency’s capacity to forecast hazards.
The head of the country’s met service told him that most of her staff members escaped Khartoum and were unable to “run their business in a normal way”, he said.
“They are not able to forecast this kind of high-impact weather events anymore,” he warned.
Weather science key for food security
Extreme weather events are also a key factor in the spread of global hunger and the new report seeks to inform urgent action on this front as the UN estimates that nearly 670 million people may be food insecure in 2030.
The report’s authors explore the link between life-saving food production and nutrition, and investments in weather sciences and services which enable farmers to make decisions on crops and planting.
Early warnings are also crucial to “helping identify potential areas of crop failure that may lead to emergencies”.
Anticipate deadly outbreaks
“United in Science” includes analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warned that climate change and extreme events such as heatwaves are set to “significantly increase ill health and premature deaths”.
The report’s findings show that integrating epidemiology and climate information makes it possible to forecast and prepare for outbreaks of climate-sensitive diseases, such as malaria and dengue.
Limit losses from disasters
Early-warning systems can also help to reduce poverty by giving people the chance to anticipate and “limit the economic impact” of disasters.
The WMO-led report shows that between 1970 and 2021, there were nearly 12,000 reported disasters from weather, climate and water extremes, causing $4.3 trillion in economic losses – the majority of them in developing countries.
Every fraction matters
WMO deplored the fact that so far, there has been “very limited progress” in reducing the gap between promises that countries made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the level of emissions cuts really needed to achieve the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 45 per cent by 2030, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions falling close to net zero by 2050.
The report’s authors wrote that while some future changes in climate are unavoidable, “every fraction of a degree and ton of CO2 matters to limit global warming and achieve the SDGs”.
Early warnings for all
WMO has also underscored the importance of the UN’s “Early Warnings for All” initiative aiming to ensure that “everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027”.
Currently, only half of the countries worldwide report having adequate multi-hazard early warning systems.
The United in Science report was issued ahead of the SDG Summit and Climate Ambition Summit which take place at the UN General Assembly next week.
These meetings will “shine a spotlight on how to rescue the SDGs at the half-way mark to 2030” and “boost ambition to tackle the climate crisis”, the UN chief told reporters in New York on Wednesday.
Addressing the opening of the Council’s 54th session, Mr. Türk strongly condemned the “old, blunt, brutal politics of repression” as exemplified by a rise in military coups and the crushing of dissent – “in short, the fist”.
Following military takeovers in Niger and Gabon, he insisted that the “unconstitutional changes in government” such as the ones seen recently in the Sahel are “not the solution”.
“We need instead an urgent reversal to civilian governance, and open spaces where people can participate, influence, accompany and criticise government actions – or lack of action,” he said.
Interlinked rights and development challenges
Mr. Türk said that the challenges faced by countries in the Sahel, which leave their populations “struggling for daily survival”, are interlinked.
The devastating impacts of climate change, lack of investment in essential services and weak governance “are the sources that violent extremism draws from”, he warned.
He also sounded the alarm over mass-produced “lies and disinformation” aided by new technologies and emphasized that “people everywhere want – and have the right to… objective information, not propaganda.”
‘Leave no one behind’
The UN rights chief underscored that over his years of service with the UN it had become clear to him that development issues “underlie almost every challenge we face”.
“Leaving no-one behind is not an empty slogan. It is a human rights action plan that reaches across the whole spectrum of human rights”, he said.
He deplored the fact that the world was “betraying [its] promise” to end hunger and poverty by 2030.
‘Collective human rights failure’
Some 600 million people are projected to be chronically undernourished at the end of the decade according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) despite the massive financial and technological resources at our disposal, Mr. Türk said.
He also stressed that 1.2 billion people, nearly half of them children, now live in “acute multidimensional poverty” and risk being joined by millions more as a result of climate change, as projected by the World Bank.
“This is a terrible collective human rights failure,” he stated.
Fight against inequalities
The High Commissioner detailed steps to address the “abyss between rich and poor” and the inequalities preventing humanity from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He spoke about the need for a reform of the international financial architecture offering “fairer deals on debt relief”, urgent funding for developing countries in the form of an SDG Stimulus, a push towards international tax cooperation and a reinvigorated global fight against corruption and illicit financial flows.
Environmental accountability
Mr. Türk also called for “effectively financed human rights-based climate action” to help developing countries adapt to the effects of climate change, to which they contributed so little, and offset the damage done.
He stressed the need for a “rapid, equitable phase-out of fossil fuels” and welcomed the consideration of measures to ensure “accountability for environmental damage”, such as the proposed inclusion of the international crime of “ecocide” in the Rome Statute of the UN-backed International Criminal Court.
‘Politics of indifference’
In his address the UN rights chief highlighted a wide range of human rights crises around the world. He said that he was shocked by the “nonchalance” and the “politics of indifference” in the face of more than 2,300 people reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean this year, “including the loss of more than 600 lives in a single shipwreck off Greece in June”.
He strongly condemned the fact that many more migrants and refugees were dying “unnoticed” in Europe, in the Bay of Bengal, on the border between the United States and Mexico and beyond.
Russia’s warfare in Ukraine ‘horrific’
Mr. Türk also spoke about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the “horrific warfare” which has ravaged the country.
“The Russian Federation’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, and attacks on grain facilities in Odesa and elsewhere, have again forced prices sky-high in many developing countries – taking the right to food far out of reach for many people,” he said.
He reiterated his “deep concerns” regarding restrictions on fundamental rights in Russia and “particularly severe oppression” of the anti-war movement and human rights activists, as exemplified by the harsh prison sentences handed down to opponents Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Palestine and Iran
The High Commissioner expressed his “profound shock” at the escalating violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as well as concern over the “continuing civic space restrictions” by the Palestinian Authorities and de facto authorities in Gaza.
He also deplored the “inadequate” accountability for the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran one year on and reiterated his concerns over restriction on the rights of women and girls, as well as the renewed deployment of the morality police, a force “almost exclusively aimed” at controlling them.
‘Repugnant’ Quran burnings
The “fabrication of artificial disputes over gender” was part of what Mr. Türk called “the politics of division and distraction”. In this context he brought up the “repugnant” series of some 30 recent incidents of burning the Quran to “create divisions, both within societies, and between countries”.
He announced that he would discuss this topic in detail on 6 October, as mandated by a resolution adopted during an urgent debate at the Council’s previous session.
Minute of silence
Monday’s meeting opened with a minute of silence honouring the victims of the devastating earthquake in Morocco on 8 September, which has so far claimed at least 2,100 lives.
The Vice-President of the Council, Permanent Representative of the Gambia to the UN in Geneva Muhammadou M.O. Kah, urged solidarity with the victims, stressing to delegations present that they were “not just representatives of nations or organisations” but “part of a global community, humanity”. Morocco’s ambassador Omar Zniber thanked delegates for the gesture and the Geneva-based organisations for their support.
Marathon session
The Human Rights Council’s 54th session will run until 13 October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. During the marathon five-week session, the Council will focus on the human rights situations in Afghanistan, Belarus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Ukraine among others.
Over the coming year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will distribute seeds, livestock treatment kits and provide veterinary and fisheries support to boost crop production, improve seed diversification and protect animal stock from depleting.
The initiative is expected to meet the cereal requirements of up to 19 million people for the upcoming 2023 harvest, FAO estimates.
Battle for survival
“Millions of people across Sudan are facing a battle for survival as the food security crisis worsens”, said Hongjie Yang, FAO Representative in the Sudan.
“This emergency response plan aims to provide farming, herding and fishing families with the basics they need to keep production going and feed themselves and their communities.”
The urgency cannot be overstated.
More than 20 million people, representing over 42 per cent Sudan’s population, experienced high levels of acute food insecurity between July and September, nearly double the figure from May last year.
This situation has been hugely exacerbated by the descent since April into all-out war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has displaced nearly 5.1 million people within Sudan and across the country’s borders.
News reports said at least 35 people were killed and dozens more wounded following an attack on a crowded market in Sudan’s capital on Sunday, after it was bombarded by a military aircraft.
Plan details
Under FAO’s plan, vulnerable households will receive high quality seeds of cowpea, groundnut, millet, okra and sorghum for the 2024 summer season; and chickpea, cucumber, pigeon pea, tomato and watermelon for the 2023 winter season.
Farmers will also be trained in best practices to enhance handling of post-harvest produce, including important by-products such as manure.
Crucially, amid the intense fighting, FAO’s plan prioritizes mass vaccination campaigns to protect six million sheep, goats and cattle against devastating diseases, including peste des petits ruminants (ovine rinderpest), sheep and goat pox, and foot-and-mouth disease.
To keep local economies going and ensure steady access to quality foods, the UN agency will also support 50,000 people, including 10,000 fishing households, with equipment such as boats and gear.
Multipronged approach
The emergency response plan will deploy a combination of unconditional cash assistance and livelihood support, including seeds and tools, along with training, to reach the most vulnerable households.
This approach aims to address the challenges faced by farmers practicing rainfed agriculture during the dry season (November to May) and the struggles of herding communities dealing with water scarcity, lack of pasture, weakened animal health, and reduced food availability.
To fully implement the ambitious plan over the next 12 months and reach the targeted farmers, herders, and fishers in Sudan’s most food-insecure areas, FAO requires $123 million.
