United Nations Foundation Newsletter 11/1/2022

 

Exactly one week after the world marked United Nations Day, there are reminders everywhere about why the UN is essential: intensifying global conflict, deepening humanitarian crises, and a planet in jeopardy.   "But the United Nations was made for moments like this," said Secretary-General António Guterres in his UN Day message. "Now, more than ever, we need to bring to life the values and principles of the UN Charter in every corner of the world."    In countries like Ukraine, where as winter approaches and attacks on civilian infrastructure intensify, officials worry that the humanitarian crisis could deepen as teams face "new dimensions to the emergency." The UN has delivered emergency assistance to over 13 million people in Ukraine.   In Haiti, where gang violence and political instability are creating chaos, the UN also took key first steps toward facilitating humanitarian aid to Haitian people who are facing "catastrophic" levels of hunger and an exploding cholera outbreak.   In Nigeria, 1.3 million people — 60% of whom are children — have been displaced by the country’s worst floods in 10 years. The flooding, according to UN reports, was worsened by extreme rainfall due to rising temperatures — another example of the human cost of climate change.

Commuters travel in boats as vehicles are abandoned on the East-West highway severed by flooding, bringing to a halt the traffic and economic activities in Nigeria. PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images As world leaders prepare to meet at COP 27, the recent devastating experiences of countries like Nigeria and Pakistan are shining an even brighter light on the issue of "loss and damage," as calls grow for rich countries to compensate developing countries for climate impacts.   As the Secretary-General put it in his address to the UN General Assembly last month, "Loss and damage are happening now, hurting people and economies now, and must be addressed now — starting at COP 27."

FROM OUR EXPERTS...   Progress for girls has been set back — But there’s still hope "When you work on gender equality, you can never give up hope!" On International Day of the Girl, Michelle Milford Morse, UN Foundation Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy, told NPR why she’s optimistic despite setbacks caused by the pandemic. Learn more >>   Get up to speed on COP 27 As leaders gather in Egypt for COP 27, UN Foundation’s climate experts are sharing insights and ideas on the hot topics at climate’s largest global gathering. Take a deeper dive on oceans, shipping, climate finance, diplomacy, food and agriculture – plus more. Check it out >>   How Americans really feel about the SDGs Partnering with Morning Consult, the UN Foundation surveyed over 8,000 U.S. adults on the Sustainable Development Goals. The results? Although many Americans don’t know the goals by name, they agree the issues they describe are important and relevant to their communities. Explore the data >>   Turning the tide on childhood immunization 25 million children worldwide missed vaccines last year — the largest backslide in 30 years. But there’s a plan, health workers are determined, and companies like Walgreens are stepping up, writes Martha Rebour, Executive Director of our Shot@Life campaign. Read more >>

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