Day: August 29, 2022

Mombasa, Kenya– The Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative launched the “Greater Horn of Africa: Strengthening early warning and early action systems for meteorological, hydrological, and climate extremes” project, which will be implemented regionally and in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and The World Bank.

The project aims to enhance the capacities of regional and national entities to produce and use climate, weather, and hydrological services, including early warning systems. It will support regional activities and also provide support to the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan through technical assistance, building upon and leveraging the ongoing and pipeline investment projects implemented/financed by the UNDRR, WMO, and World Bank.

These services are needed more than ever, as the Horn of Africa is increasingly threatened by climate hazards and extreme weather. Right now, millions of people face a humanitarian crisis because of several years of below-average rainfall and failing crops, as the region is being ravaged by the worst drought in four decades. At the same time, the region has also been struck by damaging floods, that have destroyed crops, washed away infrastructure, and killed vulnerable people.

In Somalia, the UNDRR Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) has already initiated a project to enhance the effort of disaster risk reduction. The UNDRR ROAS project in Somalia aims to improve the governance, understanding of risks, and the capacity to address disaster risks at national and local levels to better prepare for and respond to disasters, reduce vulnerabilities, loss of life, and economic damages. It comes to revise and update the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy impact in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction; in addition, to develop a multi-hazard early warning feasibility study and a local disaster risk reduction and resilience action plans in one pilot city.

Till now, together with partners, UNDRR ROAS has organized multiple workshops that introduced the functionality of Sendai Framework Monitor and DesInventar-Sendai, as well as the guidelines for developing national disaster risk reduction strategies and national disaster risk reduction platforms. Furthermore, under the umbrella of supporting the strengthening of disaster risk reduction implementation at the local level, UNDRR ROAS has organized capacity-building workshops on the Sendai Framework and the essentials for Making Cities Resilient.

In parallel, the UNDRR ROAS works on developing a multi-hazard risk profile in Sudan that underlines risk factors across major sectors and the most vulnerable areas. Furthermore, UNDRR ROAS has developed a scoping paper for probabilistic risk assessment. The objective of this initiative is to strengthen Sudan’s capacity to systematically account for disaster losses, identify hazards, and develop risk assessments. The UNDRR ROAS collaborated with the government to identify the problem, the need to perform risk assessments, and how these results can increase overall disaster resilience.

The CREWS Greater Horn of Africa project’s regional activities will be centered around improving regional services to support countries to provide effective early warning systems (EWS) and strengthening regional coordination and cooperation for effective EWS and climate services. In Ethiopia, activities will support ensuring early actions and developing demand-driven climate and early warning information services. In Somalia, activities will focus on developing and delivering priority public hydromet services, and institutional development. As for Sudan, activities will focus on strengthening community involvement in EWS and strengthening flood early warning services.

The project launching event brought together representatives of the regional partners (ICPAC, ENTRO, and Red Cross), national stakeholders (national meteorological and hydrological services as well as disaster risk management authorities in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan), the implementing partners (UNDRR, WMO, and World Bank), and regional stakeholders.

The project is supported under the CREWS Initiative, a mechanism that funds Least Developed Countries (LDC) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to increase the availability of, and access to, early warning systems.

Source: UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted the continued relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), during a meeting with the President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, held on Sunday.

Ms. Mohammed was in the country to attend the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8), which concluded that day.

The conference has been organized by Japan since 1993, under the philosophy of “African Development for African people.” It is co-hosted by the UN, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the African Union Commission.

A new era

In welcoming the UN deputy chief, President Saied spoke of the new era in the world, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, but also in Tunisia, which has a new Constitution that he said will establish greater accountability for all.

The President said TICAD has already brought important results for Africa, and there will be much to do to implement agreements reached during this latest edition of the conference.

SDGs remain relevant

Ms. Mohammed recalled that the SDGs remain a very relevant framework in this new era, and TICAD has served as an important reminder.

The 17 goals aim to bring about a more just and equitable world, including through ending extreme poverty, achieving gender equality, and spurring economic growth, while also tackling climate change and preserving the natural environment.

They were adopted by world leaders in 2015 and have a deadline of 2030.

The UN deputy chief said that in many places, governments have not yet succeeded in delivering better public services, particularly for women and girls. She added that the UN will continue to support countries, and give hope to people.

Transforming education

Ms. Mohammed reminded President Saied of the UN Secretary-General’s invitation to attend the upcoming UN General Assembly and the important Transforming Education Summit.

The three-day event, which begins at UN Headquarters on 16 September, aims to set out a new vision for education that equips learners of all ages and backgrounds with the skills, knowledge, and values they need to thrive.

She said that as a professor, President Saied could help redefine and rethink education in Africa.

The President confirmed his interest in attending, and mentioned that adapting education to this new era is fundamental. He said a Supreme Council for education and learning is included in his country’s new Constitution.

The meeting with the Tunisian President took place a day after Ms. Mohammed addressed the opening ceremony for TICAD8.

A ‘perfect storm’

In her remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General called for action to confront what she described as “the cascading impacts of multiple crises” facing the world today.

She said recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine, the climate emergency and the financial crisis, are placing already vulnerable populations under severe stress.

“This ‘perfect storm’ is, in turn, creating a fertile breeding ground exacerbating existing and future conflict and unrest, thus compromising our collective efforts to achieve the SDGs and save lives and livelihoods,” she added.

Three areas for action

Ms. Mohammed said countries have an unprecedented opportunity to overcome these challenges and address security and sustainable development in Africa.

She underlined the need to accelerate action across three main areas to benefit African economies and achieve the SDGs.

The first calls for ensuring universal access to energy and a just and equitable transition to renewables.

A comprehensive approach is necessary here to chart energy development pathways in Africa, grounded in sustainable investments and strong partnerships, such as TICAD.

“With the energy access gap impacting about 600 million people, Africa will need the ‘energy development space’ to keep pace with its ambitions for universal, reliable and affordable access to clean energy,” she told the conference.

“The current global rise in energy prices can also prompt African countries to maximize the continent’s great potential for renewable energy. But this will require timely investments at scale.”

Transform food systems

The second area is focused on the need to transform global food systems, which means achieving food security, nutrition, self-sufficiency and jobs for young people across the continent.

“Expanding Africa’s breadbasket requires enhanced agriculture productivity and food systems that leverage new technology of modern irrigation systems, the mechanization of farming and the reduction of post-harvest losses, which are high priorities for the continent,” said Ms. Mohammed.

She added that the TICAD partnership can drive this transformation, through the right investments, technology and affordable innovations at scale.

Lastly, Ms. Mohammed stressed that there can be no solution to these interconnected crises unless countries address inequality and its underlying factors.

“There is need for a shift in the perception of Africa as dependent continent to one that is a key actor on the global stage, with the same rights and standing as any other region. Be it economic or political. The mobilization of adequate financing for sustainable development is an imperative,” she said.

Seize upcoming opportunities

Ms. Mohammed urged participants to seize the opportunity of the upcoming UN General Assembly, the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, the G20 Meeting and the UN’s COP27 climate change conference, to strengthen collective action to recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic and respond to the impact of the continuing war in Ukraine.

Stating that “we are not starting from nothing”, she stressed the need for solid building blocks to achieve the ambition of delivering sustainable development for Africa.

The Deputy Secretary-General underlined the UN’s readiness to continue to accompany African countries in this journey.

Source: United Nations

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, in Tunis today:

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me start by congratulating the Tunisian Government for hosting and organizing the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development for the second time only on the African continent.

It is my pleasure to speak to you about the climate-related actions we need for people and for the planet. This year has given us a glimpse of the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis. Many corners of the world have faced storms, floods, droughts and raging wildfires. Lives and livelihoods have been lost. Tunisia has not been exempt from the negative impacts of climate change.

In this context, just about a month ago, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a historic resolution that declared access to a clean and healthy environment a universal human right. I would like to commend Tunisia for their vote in favour of this landmark resolution, as well as all who are acting to ensure a greener and healthier planet for future generations.

Despite this breakthrough, much more remains to be done. Today, I urge everyone, everywhere to employ innovative solutions and mobilize communities, the private sector and Governments to accelerate our pace to taking these solutions to scale. To do this we need young people, including the young people of Tunisia to play a leading role.

From the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development to Africa’s Twenty-seventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations stands committed to amplifying your voice and accompanying you in this journey to a more peaceful and healthier planet.

I wish you a successful Conference.

Source: United Nations

KHARTOUM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$4.5 million from the Government of Japan to provide life-saving food assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan. The funding will enable WFP to purchase 3,600 MT of sorghum to support 130,000 IDPs in Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Darfur states for the next four months.

“We are extremely grateful for this generous funding from the Government of Japan to support women, men and children who have been driven from their homes by conflict,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Sudan. “Chronic funding shortages are forcing WFP to reduce food rations even for the most vulnerable such as IDPs and refugees. We appeal to donors to help restore full rations.”

Japan’s contribution comes at a time when the combined effects of conflict, extreme weather, economic and political crises, poor harvests and rising costs of food, energy and fertilizer, caused in part by the conflict in Ukraine, have left over 15 million people food insecure in Sudan according to WFP’s Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA). The assessment further warns that this number could rise to 18 million – or 40 percent of the population – by September, as families struggle to cope through the lean season.

“We think it is necessary for us to help Sudan respond to the current food crisis through WFP which provides life-saving food assistance to vulnerable populations, particularly IDPs in Sudan,” said H.E. Mr. Hattori Takashi, Ambassador of Japan to Sudan. “This contribution from the people of Japan comes as part of our responsibility as friends of the Sudanese people towards the improvement of their food security amidst an ongoing global food crisis.”

In 2022, WFP has so far provided food and nutrition assistance to over 4.8 million people in Sudan including 1.7 million IDPs who continue to receive much needed emergency assistance through in-kind food and cash. However, due to chronic funding shortfalls, WFP is only able to provide half rations for all IDPs and refugees.

The Government of Japan is a long-standing partner of WFP in Sudan. In 2020 and 2021, Japan contributed a total of US$4.5 million to WFP for various initiatives including support for people whose livelihoods were affected by locust invasions, emergency nutrition assistance for infants, mothers and pregnant women in West and Central Darfur, emergency food assistance for refugees fleeing conflict in northern Ethiopia and capacity strengthening for the delivery of social protection services.

Source: World Food Programme

Sudanese journalists have formed the country’s first independent professional union for decades, in what campaigners said was an important step towards re-establishing freedoms after a military coup.

“The victory is to regain our syndicate after more than 30 years in order to defend the freedom and professionalism of the press,” said one journalist Waleed Alnour, who waited hours in the sun to cast his vote in an election for the union’s leadership on Sunday.

The union has 1,164 members, 659 of whom took part in Sunday’s vote.

Shadow unions that sprang up in opposition to autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who packed unions with regime-friendly members, were instrumental in an uprising that toppled him in 2019.

A military coup last October ended a power-sharing arrangement with civilians that followed the uprising.

The coup also led to the suspension of a radio station, and some TV journalists were subject to attacks, raids or arrests that they blamed on security forces and loyalists of the former regime.

Journalists aligned with Bashir had attempted to prevent Sunday’s vote going ahead by raising an ongoing legal complaint, saying the syndicate could not replace the pre-existing Bashir-era union.

However, election committee head Faisal Mohamed Salih, who served as information minister in a civilian-led government between the uprising and the coup, said the vote “was executed in a completely democratic way… smoothly and with a high turnout and excitement among the journalists.”

Civil society observers, including some from opposition lawyers’ groups, attended the election.

Abdelmoniem Abu Idrees, a journalist working for international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), was voted head of the syndicate. Votes were being counted for the rest of the union’s 40-person leadership.

The Bahri resistance committees, one of the groups leading ongoing protests against military rule, said in a statement the election was an important step. “We can only support it, as it lays the groundwork for one of our uprising’s core demands, and that is democracy.”

Source: Voice of America