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Add to Preferred SourcesLabour market recovery goes into reverse, global tourism industry during COVID-19, what do we know about the growing cases of monkeypox. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
Labour market recovery goes into reverse
Multiple global crises are causing a marked deterioration in the global labor market recovery, with increasing inequalities within and between countries, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The 9th edition of the ILO Monitor on the World of Work finds that after significant gains during the last quarter of 2021, the number of hours worked globally dropped in the first quarter of 2022, to 3.8 percent below the pre-crisis benchmark (fourth quarter of 2019). This is equivalent to a deficit of 112 million full-time jobs. This represents a significant downgrading of figures published by the ILO in January 2022.
“The global labor market recovery has gone into reverse. An uneven and fragile recovery has been made more uncertain by a self-reinforcing combination of crises. The impact on workers and their families, especially in the developing world, will be devastating and could translate into social and political dislocation,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. “It is now more essential than ever that we work together and focus on creating a human-centered recovery.”
Global tourism industry during COVID-19
Tourism is the process of travelling from one location to another for a particular reason such as a vacation, a business conference, or perhaps even for a health or medical purpose. The tourism industry somewhat differs from normal industry sectors that can be relatively easily highlighted and analyzed by a closer look at their outputs. However, tourism is characterized by a multitude of intersectoral and cross-cutting activities such as accommodation and transportation, health, and cultural diversity.
Many counties depend on tourism as a key source of income with hundreds of millions of tourists traveling around the globe for various purposes therefore until recent events the global tourism industry continued to flourish. However, firstly the novel coronavirus pandemic brought the global tourism industry to an unprecedented halt with the imposed travel restrictions affecting access to international travel as well as impacting upon world economies. Secondly, the current Russian attack on Ukraine in Eastern Europe and the sanctions unleashed against this country may jeopardize the fragile economic recovery and prevent the tourism industry from getting back on its feet.
The resumption of international travel to its previous levels depends by and large on the coordinated response from countries in terms of travel restrictions, the maintenance of existing health and safety protocols, and the implementation of effective communication channels to restore consumer confidence.
What do we know about the growing cases of monkeypox?
As of 22 May 2022, the World Health Organization has warned that there has been about 250 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox across countries where it is unusual for the virus to occur. While the virus causing the disease has already spread across different continents, including at least 11 countries across the European Union, experts believe the outbreak can still be contained.
The monkeypox virus belongs to the same family as smallpox although it is milder and people usually recover from the disease in a couple of weeks. The incubation period of the virus typically ranges from 6 to 13 days but in exceptional cases, this may vary from 5 to 21 days. Monkeypox usually begins with flu-like symptoms such as muscle pain, headache, fever, swollen lymph glands, chills, and exhaustion. Later, however, these symptoms are followed by a rash, typically starting on the face and spreading all over the body. Overall, the disease lasts somewhere between two to four weeks.
While monkeypox is usually non-fatal, one form of the virus does however kill approximately 10% of infected individuals. The version that has been circulating since May 13 has a 1% fatality rate. Currently, no specific vaccine exists against monkeypox although a smallpox jab promises 85% protection due to the similarity of the two viruses. WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge said:
“Monkeypox is usually a self-limiting illness, and most of those infected will recover within a few weeks without treatment. However, the disease can be more severe, especially in young children, pregnant women, and individuals who are immunocompromised.”
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine fast-track the energy transition? | Experts’ Opinions
In early March the EU announced its plans to slash dependence on Russian gas and oil by two-thirds, by the end of 2022. Although difficult to be put into practice, the sudden push to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russia could trigger a paradigm shift to clean energy sources that might be quickly scaled up. Will war fast-track the energy transition in the EU? Or will coal and nuclear energy prevail? Let’s see what experts have mentioned in this regard.
TOP-5 sustainable cities with minimal impact on the environment
Sustainability refers to the ability to meet our current needs and evolve without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. It has become a hot topic in recent years, especially due to climate change and the increasing levels of pollution that threaten it. Cities, as the hubs of socio-economic and cultural development, are at the center of implementing sustainable programs. Taking into account the continuous process of urbanization, the more sustainable cities are, the less pressure is put on the environment. So which cities are the most sustainable and can serve as a model for others? The most recent research places Copenhagen, Oslo, and Zurich at the top of the list of the world’s most eco-friendly.
United States launches new policy to shelter up to 100,000 Ukrainians
A new streamlined process to give Ukrainian citizens fleeing Russia’s ruthless war of aggression the opportunity to enter the United States, called Uniting for Ukraine, was announced by President Biden a few weeks ago. He pledged to receive up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
Here’s what else has happened
IOM: More than 8 million people are internally displaced in Ukraine due to the war, and a further 6.5 million have fled to safety across international borders. In response, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is scaling up the use of its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) tool to better understand mobility dynamics in the region and strengthen the Organization’s crisis response.
COVAX: Nearly 18 months after the first administration of a COVID-19 vaccine, incredible progress has been made – with lower-income countries administering billions of COVID-19 vaccines in a historic global rollout that is unprecedented in terms of speed, scale and demographics reached. Yet despite this progress, and the easing of global supply constraints, inequities between lower and higher-income countries are continuing to cost lives and are prolonging the pandemic by increasing the threat posed by the emergence of new, potentially more dangerous variants of the virus.
UNHCR: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to scale up its operations in Poland to provide aid to refugees from Ukraine who have settled across the country. Poland remains the main country of arrival for refugees from Ukraine, with more than 3.5 million have entered the country since the start of the war on 24 February.
Reports
COVID-19 sparked new thinking on risks
As world leaders are traveling to Bali to meet at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 and discuss how to better prevent and reduce current and future risks, the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and United Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) have launched the new report “Rethinking Risks in Times of COVID-19.”
Climate risk and early warning systems initiative brings message of hope
In a year overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic fallout, 2021 nevertheless saw progress towards strengthening early warning services and building resilience to extreme weather and climate change impacts in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. The report “Delivering on Early Warning Systems in Fragility and Conflict Contexts” showcased achievements in strengthening hydro-meteorological services and early warnings even in the most difficult situations.
Over-consumption in the world’s richest countries is destroying children’s environments globally, new report says
The majority of wealthy countries are creating unhealthy, dangerous, and noxious conditions for children across the world, according to the latest Report Card published by the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti. The report compares how 39 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union (EU) fare in providing healthy environments for children. The report features indicators such as exposure to harmful pollutants including toxic air, pesticides, damp, and lead; access to light, green spaces, and safe roads; and countries’ contributions to the climate crisis, consumption of resources, and the dumping of e-waste.
Events
Gender Mainstreaming in Development | Blended course
📅 30 May 2022 – 01 June 2022
Blended Course
Gender equality & Social inclusion – buzzwords in development jargon that keep gaining importance. Bring them to life and take your projects and programmes to the next level of effectiveness and quality of life.
2022 Annual Meetings of the IsDB Group
📅 1-4 June 2022
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
Under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and in response to an official invitation by the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Islamic Development Bank Group is to hold its 2022 Annual Meetings in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 1-4 June 2022, under the theme “Beyond Recovery: Resilience and Sustainability”.
Stockholm+50
📅 2 – 3 June 2022
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm+50 is an international meeting convened by the United Nations General Assembly to be held in Stockholm, Sweden from 2-3 June 2022. This meeting will commemorate the 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which made the environment a pressing global issue for the first time.