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Add to Preferred SourcesNearly 37 million children displaced worldwide – highest number ever recorded, droughts threaten sustainable development, promoting women’s rights, a ‘proven’ strategy for peace and stability. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
Nearly 37 million children displaced worldwide – highest number ever recorded
Conflict, violence, and other crises left a record 36.5 million children displaced from their homes at the end of 2021, UNICEF estimates – the highest number recorded since the Second World War. This figure includes 13.7 million refugee and asylum-seeking children and nearly 22.8 million children who are internally displaced due to conflict and violence.
These figures do not include children displaced by climate and environmental shocks or disasters, as well as those newly displaced in 2022, including by the war in Ukraine.
The record number of children displaced is a direct result of cascading crises – including acute and protracted conflicts such as in Afghanistan, fragility in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Yemen, and linked shocks exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Just like fragility, child displacement is spreading fast. During the previous year, the global number of displaced children increased by 2.2 million.
UNICEF calls on governments to take six actions to achieve equal rights and opportunities for all refugee, migrant, and displaced children:
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- Provide equal support to all children – wherever they come from;
- Recognize refugee, migrant, and displaced children as children first and foremost – with rights to protection, development, and participation;
- Increase collective action to ensure effective access to essential services – including health care and education – for all uprooted children and families regardless of status;
- Protect refugee, migrant, and displaced children from discrimination and xenophobia;
- End harmful border management practices and child immigration detention and empower refugee, migrant and displaced youth to unleash their talents and realize their full potential.
Droughts threaten sustainable development
Drought is one of the most destructive natural disasters in terms of impacts on agriculture and food security, ecosystems, human health, and water resources. Exacerbated by land degradation and climate change, droughts are increasing in frequency and severity, up 29% since 2000, with 55 million people affected every year.
When more than 2.3 billion people already face water stress, this is a huge problem. No country is immune. The theme of the International Day Against Desertification and Drought on 17 June is “Rising up from drought together.” It emphasizes the need for early action to avoid disastrous consequences for humanity and the planetary ecosystems.
WMO is at the forefront of initiatives to tackle drought in a proactive and integrated manner. WMO and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) co-sponsors the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) and partner with about 40 partner organizations. IDMP has developed the three pillars of integrated drought management: 1) drought early warning and monitoring, 2) drought vulnerability and risk assessments, and 3) risk mitigation, preparedness, and response.
The latest long-lead seasonal forecasts, supported by a broad consensus from meteorological experts, indicate that there is now a concrete risk that the October-December (OND) rainy season could also fail. Should these forecasts materialize, the already severe humanitarian emergency in the region would further deepen, it said.
Promoting women’s rights, a ‘proven’ strategy for peace and stability
The Women, Peace, and Security agenda is “one of our best hopes” for a more peaceful future and a liveable planet, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council.
Although gender equality offers a path to sustainable peace and conflict prevention, the UN chief observed that “we are moving in the opposite direction”.
Political deadlocks and entrenched conflicts continue to highlight examples of enduring power imbalances, such as in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Mali, and Sudan. And most recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced millions of women and children to flee for their lives, “putting them at risk of trafficking and exploitation of all kinds,” he said.
Women must be equally involved “part and parcel of finding peaceful solutions, of recovery and of prevention mechanisms,” she upheld. The UN Women’s chief urged the Council, the Member States, and regional organizations to ensure that all response efforts fully include the voices of women leaders.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Literate societies are the cornerstone to a world without poverty. Here’s why.
Literacy has traditionally been defined as a person’s ability to read and write. These skills can be improved over time and need to be practiced on a regular basis. Today, in a continually changing and digitalizing world that is rich in data, literacy is seen as a way to comprehend, interpret, produce and communicate what you have read, seen, and/or heard. These abilities are important because they are key to a sustainable and inclusive life for every individual. Their lack, however, leads to marginalization and exclusion.
TOP-10 facts about foreign aid that you probably did not know
Foreign aid is the voluntary transfer of capital, goods, and services from one country to another. In the midst of recurring crises, this term is omnipresent in the public arena and policy-making agendas. But, as clear as the term appears to be, foreign aid hides multiple aspects that make it unique and quite complex. DevelopmentAid has prepared a list of the top 10 facts about foreign aid that you probably didn’t know.
What does the war in Ukraine mean for neighboring Moldova? | Experts’ Opinions
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to have major consequences for many of Ukraine’s neighbors. The Republic of Moldova, a tiny neutral country in Eastern Europe and the poorest on the continent, with a population of 2.6 million, is already suffering the consequences with more than 400,000 refugees having arrived on its soil. People are concerned that the war could reach Moldova after a series of explosions were reported in the country’s breakaway region of Transnistria, a Russian-backed region which borders Ukraine. What do experts have to say about the possible effects of the war in Ukraine on Moldova? Check out some opinions below.
Here’s what else has happened
WHO: The World Health Organization released its largest review of world mental health since the turn of the century. The detailed work provides a blueprint for governments, academics, health professionals, civil society, and others with an ambition to support the world in transforming mental health.
UNCHR: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is alarmed at the recent escalation of violence against civilians by armed groups in Burkina Faso that has forced thousands to flee, placing humanitarian resources under strain as insecurity continues to plague the Central Sahel.
AIDS: To end AIDS, beat COVID-19, and “stop the pandemics of the future”, the world needs to ensure global access to lifesaving health technologies, the UN Chef de Cabinet has told a meeting of the General Assembly to review progress.
Reports
Forced displacement hit record high in 2021 with too few able to go home
The number of people displaced by conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights abuses rose for the tenth straight year in 2021 to reach the highest level since records began, according to the latest Global Trends report released by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
At the end of 2021, the number of people forced to flee their homes reached 89.3 million, up 8 per cent over the year before and well over double the figure of 10 years ago. That figure included a record 27.1 million refugees and 53.2 million internally displaced people (those who fled their homes but remained inside their country). The number also included 4.4 million Venezuelans displaced abroad and 4.6 million asylum seekers.
Only six per cent of domestic workers have comprehensive social protection, says ILO
Only six per cent of domestic workers worldwide have access to comprehensive social protection, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
This leaves more than 94 per cent lacking access to the full range of protections, covering medical care, sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury, family, maternity, invalidity, and survivors’ benefits.
According to the report, Making the right to social security a reality for domestic workers: A global review of policy trends, statistics, and extension strategies, about half of all domestic workers have no coverage at all, with the remaining half legally covered by at least one benefit.
Financing for education in emergencies coming up short in the wake of COVID-19
Funding for education in emergencies (EiE) is falling behind. It is far from meeting the needs of the millions of school-aged children and youth affected globally by crises, who require educational support.
This is the conclusion of a new report released by the Geneva Global Hub for EiE at an event hosted by the Permanent Missions of Switzerland and Niger to the UN in Geneva. The report provides, for the first time, a comprehensive assessment of the multiple funding sources for EiE, highlighting key trends and gaps.
Events
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022
📅 20-25 June 2022
Kigali, Rwanda
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) brings together delegations from 54 nations from Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. CHOGM aims to reinforce multilateral cooperation, explore new opportunities, and tackle common challenges for the well-being of future generations.
Jobs, Innovation and Value Chains in the age of Climate Change
📅 21 – 24 June 2022
The Conference will be a High-level forum that will feature IFAD’s landmarks: Excellence, Partnership, Collaboration.
Two Keynote speakers:
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- Joshua Angrist, Ford Professor of Economics, MIT – Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 2021
- David Zilberman, Professor and Robinson Chair, University of California, Berkeley – 2019 Wolf Prize in Agriculture
- Partnership with the three Rome-based public Universities and the sponsorship of the Italian Government.
Collaboration between:
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- Italian and international Academics and Policymakers to generate and disseminate knowledge and set priorities for future research and policy agenda.
- Rome-based Agencies to create job opportunities for young researchers.
Doing Business with EBRD. Corporate and Technical Assistance Procurement | Invitation to a Webinar
Since its establishment in April 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested over €160 billion in more than 6,000 projects across Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa so as to meet its commitment to ‘foster the transition towards open market-oriented economies and to promote private and entrepreneurial initiative’. With operations in 39 countries, the EBRD also provides a wide variety of funding opportunities for suppliers, contractors, and consultants worldwide through project procurement, thus opening up opportunities for mutually advantageous business partnerships.
Key takeaways
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- An overview of the role of consultancy services in the operations of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- Learn more about the EBRD’s approach to consultancy services
- In-depth information on EBRD’s requirements for potential consultants
- Insights into practical considerations.
Speakers
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- Johan Bert, Associate Director, Policy and Institutional Procurement Operations and Delivery Department at EBRD
Johan has more than 20 years of experience in public procurement. He joined EBRD in 2006 and since then he has worked almost exclusively on the procurement of consultancy services for EBRD and/or EBRD’s clients. Johan is currently the Associate Director for Policy and Institutional matters in EBRD’s Procurement Operations & Delivery Department. Prior to joining EBRD, Johan worked as a procurement lawyer in a UN peacekeeping mission, and as a lawyer in private practice and in-house in Belgium. He has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of London, a degree in Law from the Université Catholique de Louvain, and a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering from Erasmushogeschool Brussel.
- Johan Bert, Associate Director, Policy and Institutional Procurement Operations and Delivery Department at EBRD
Host:
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- Elena Rata, External Relations & Events at DevelopmentAid.