Ukraine: One year of conflict and disastrous humanitarian consequences, Syria-Türkiye earthquakes and rising humanitarian needs require political will. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.
Ukraine: One year of conflict and disastrous humanitarian consequences
One year ago, Russia launched a major military offensive into Ukraine. Each day, civilians suffer and international humanitarian law (IHL) is breached. Action Against Hunger calls for a political resolution to the conflict to end human suffering. The war has also given rise to significant concerns about global food security, revealing the inadequacy of the food systems and the need to reform them.
The military offensive in Ukraine has triggered a massive and rapid displacement of people. In total, nearly 30% of the Ukrainian population has been displaced by the conflict. More than 8 million Ukrainians have left the country as refugees and more than 6 million have been forced to flee their homes to seek refuge in another part of Ukraine. The humanitarian needs are tremendous. The United Nations estimates that 17.6 million people, including more than 3 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Syria-Türkiye earthquakes: Food, shelter and medicines among latest aid deliveries
Aid continues to roll into northwest Syria, with 53 trucks crossing from southern Türkiye, the UN reported in its latest update on the response to the devastating earthquakes that struck the two countries on 6 February.
The trucks carried items from the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, including food commodities, shelter, hygiene, and other supplies.
Most of the trucks, 47, went through the Bab al-Hawa crossing and the remainder entered through Bab al-Salam, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York. In total, 335 trucks or lorries have made the journey from Türkiye into northwest Syria since 9 February, he added.
Rising humanitarian needs require political will, increased funding: UN relief chief
As humanitarian needs spiral across the world, political will and funding are required to address war, climate change, and other drivers, the UN relief chief said. The world is facing the largest food crisis in modern history and famine is looming, while human rights – especially women’s rights – are under attack and tensions are high in places where injustice is rife, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said in remarks to the Riyadh Humanitarian Forum in Saudi Arabia, delivered on behalf of the Secretary-General.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
How to make the most of your individual membership with DevelopmentAid – Country strategy papers
If you are already a member of DevelopmentAid, you will know how lucrative our information and services can be for individual professionals looking to find new, highly-paid employment. But with so many powerful tools at their disposal, professionals can sometimes feel daunted when trying to make the most of their DevelopmentAid membership.
Read the full article.
What is the cause of the global water crisis?
As you read this article, nearly 2 billion people will be struggling to secure safe access to one of the basic necessities of existence – clean drinking water. Despite the fact that governments and humanitarian organizations have assisted many of those living in water-stressed areas to gain access to this vital resource, the situation is expected to worsen. While various experts and think tanks have come up with a broader explanation of the causes of water shortage, a universal ‘cause’ is still to be agreed upon. However, one factor is that the global water shortage is caused by multiple, small-scale and localized mini-crises which, when added together, represent the pieces of a much bigger and bleaker picture.
Read the full article.
Brazil’s new government pledges to halt Amazon deforestation. What is needed to achieve that goal?
Brazil began 2023 facing enormous challenges in respect of the environment. However, the newly elected President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in the October 2022 elections, promised during his electoral campaign to resume environmental policies that had been set aside during Bolsonaro’s administration.
Before taking office on January 1, the new President of the South American country attended COP27 in Egypt to announce to the world that Brazil was about to change direction in its environmental policy priorities.
Read the full article.
Here’s what else has happened
Ukraine: The psychological wounds of the international armed conflict in Ukraine are adding another cruel layer of pain to people already struggling to cope with shelter, hunger, and livelihood needs warn the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Canada: Canada has been steadfast in its commitment to support Ukraine’s security and resilience and to hold Russia accountable for its atrocities and crimes. As Ukraine and the international community mark this somber day, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced Canada’s contribution of more than $32 million in support to further strengthen Ukraine’s security and stabilization.
ILO: As the war in Ukraine enters its second year the ILO is proposing a six-point plan to support the country, addressing humanitarian, early recovery and developmental issues. The response was developed following consultations with the ILO’s tripartite constituents in Ukraine – government, workers’ and employers’ organizations.
ADB: Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to discuss the country’s development priorities. Mr. Asakawa conveyed ADB’s intention to provide $20 billion–$25 billion in resources over 5 years to advance the country’s aspirations for fast, inclusive, and green growth.
Reports
WTO note finds global trade resilient following one year of war in Ukraine
The note titled “One year of war in Ukraine: Assessing the impact on global trade and development” estimates that trade growth in 2022 was above the WTO trade forecast of 3% issued in April and substantially higher than its estimates for more pessimistic scenarios for the year. The stability of global trade was also evident in global supply chains, confirmed by the 4% year-on-year growth of trade in intermediate goods in the second quarter of 2022.
A woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth: UN agencies
Every two minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth, according to the latest estimates released in a report by United Nations agencies. This report, Trends in maternal mortality, reveals alarming setbacks for women’s health over recent years, as maternal deaths either increased or stagnated in nearly all regions of the world.
“While pregnancy should be a time of immense hope and a positive experience for all women, it is tragically still a shockingly dangerous experience for millions around the world who lack access to high quality, respectful health care,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). “These new statistics reveal the urgent need to ensure every woman and girl has access to critical health services before, during, and after childbirth, and that they can fully exercise their reproductive rights.”
Events
Food Security in Humanitarian Assistance
📅 6- 10 March 2023
Virtual
Registration deadline: 1 March 2023
Globally, more than 800 million people suffer from hunger. When an emergency strikes, ensuring access to and availability of food is key to the Humanitarian response. That is why whether working (or willing to work) in natural or man-made crises, Food Security specialists need to possess a unique set of skills and competencies to navigate the complexities and the challenges of assessing needs, designing, implementing, and evaluating a Food Security intervention within humanitarian action.
This training is addressed to professionals with a food security background and/or with a basic to a good understanding of Food Security programming in humanitarian action or in development settings who:
Development and Human Rights
📅 15 March – 25 April 2023
Virtual
Registration deadline: 14 March 2023
This certificate course offered by the Human Rights Center of the University for Peace introduces participants to the major themes and debates concerning the relationship between human rights and development. The course begins with an examination of the different conceptions of ‘development’, including its evolution in theory, policy, and practice, and its linkages with human rights.
