Weekly Roundup | Top international development headlines

Turkey-Syria earthquakes: two months on, WHO celebrates 75th anniversary and International Year of Artisanal Fisheries. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.

Turkey-Syria earthquakes: two months on

It’s two months since the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria hit on 6 February. These were followed by numerous aftershocks, then two more earthquakes on 20 February. World Vision has been incredibly moved by the generous response of the British public to World Vision’s DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, despite the cost-of-living crisis. News from the region has quietened, but there is much to do in order to restore and rebuild the lives of millions.

The Disasters Emergency Committee reports that the death toll stands at over 50,000, with a further 18 million people affected and in need of support. According to the UN, more than 850,000 children remain displaced. More than 200,000 buildings have been reduced to rubble or will need to be demolished. Communities face a long road to recovery, and World Vision will be there.

Two months on, many thousands of people are still without a home, relying on aid agencies for food, water, shelter, clothing and bedding. While winter is coming to an end, night-time temperatures still drop, making it hard to keep warm and get a good night’s sleep. Livelihoods have been lost and school buildings have been destroyed. Families are grieving and parents are worrying about the future of their children.

WHO celebrates 75th anniversary and calls for health equity in face of unprecedented threats

On 7 April 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) will mark its 75th anniversary, along with its 194 Member States and other partners, by calling for a renewed drive for health equity. Seventy-five years ago, in the aftermath of the deadliest and most destructive war in human history, the Constitution of the World Health Organization came into force: a treaty between the nations of the world, that recognized that health was not only a fundamental human right but also fundamental to peace and security.

Over the past seven and a half decades, there has been extraordinary progress in protecting people from diseases and destruction, including smallpox eradication, reducing the incidence of polio by 99%, saving millions of lives through childhood immunization, declines in maternal mortality and improving health and well-being for millions more.

“The history of WHO demonstrates what is possible when nations come together for a common purpose,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We have much to be proud of, but much work to do to realize our founding vision of the highest attainable standard of health for all people. We continue to face vast inequities in access to health services, major gaps in the world’s defences against health emergencies, and threats from health-harming products and the climate crisis. We can only meet these global challenges with global cooperation.”

To meet these challenges, WHO is urging countries to take urgent action to protect, support and expand the health workforce as a strategic priority. Investments in education, skills and decent jobs for health need to be prioritized to meet the rapidly growing demand for health and avert a projected shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030; primarily in low- and middle-income countries.

International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture closes with many concrete results

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)  marked the close of a global year-long campaign focused on small-scale artisanal fishers, fish farmers, and fish workers, underlining the need to keep the momentum going.

With over 260 events held in 68 countries, the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (IYAFA), “celebrated the millions of people working in small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture – including some 45 million women small-scale fishers – who produce 40% of all the fish we eat,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said at the closing ceremony, adding: “They are stewards of valuable ecosystems, and of longstanding traditions and cultures.”

DevelopmentAid Editorials

Millions of children in European countries are at risk of poverty, warns Save the Children

A quarter of children in European countries, or 1.96 million, were at risk of poverty and social exclusion at the end of 2021, the international NGO Save the Children has stated in its recently released report. This data is even more alarming in view of the fact that it only covers 14 countries.

The report reveals data collected from 10 EU member states (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden) and 4 non-EU countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Kosovo) in October to December 2022.

Millions of children and families across 14 European countries are facing a poverty crisis that prevents children from thriving and achieving their full potential as adults. Even a brief period of deprivation can have long-term consequences for a child and, in some cases, these effects can last for generations. Save the Children has recently published a report highlighting that in 2021 the number of children at risk of poverty in Europe rose by 200,000 bringing the total to 19.6 million, which is deeply concerning.

Read the full article.

What are the economic predictions for 2023? | Expert’s Opinions

After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s economy had just begun to recover when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shattered hopes in this regard. The war has brought far-reaching economic consequences with rising inflation around the world. After one year of ongoing fighting, will economic prospects change in 2023? Let’s see what experts have to say about this.

Read the full article.

Here’s what else has happened

FAO: FAO has welcomed a $34.4 million contribution from the Government of Japan to deliver a wide range of assistance to improve the food security and nutrition of people in emergency settings, including internally displaced people, refugees, and others affected by insecurity and natural hazards.

Ukraine: Nearly $7 billion will be required over the next decade to rebuild the cultural sector in war-ravaged Ukraine, the head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said during a visit to the country.

IRC: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is deeply concerned by the report by the Somalia Government’s Minister of Health that indicates an estimated 43,000 excess deaths may have occurred in 2022 in Somalia due to the ongoing drought. It is feared that half of these deaths may have occurred among children under the age of 5.

rescEU: To further strengthen emergency response, the EU is developing its own shelter reserves that can be deployed in the context of crises or disasters that overwhelm national response capacities. The EU is allocating €116.6 million to Croatia, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Türkiye to procure and host new rescue shelter reserves able to accommodate thousands of people.

UAE: The UAE sent a plane carrying 38 tonnes of urgent medical and food supplies to Afghanistan to meet the needs of thousands of Afghan families affected by earthquakes that recently struck northeastern Afghanistan. The earthquakes resulted in numerous deaths and injuries and destroyed basic infrastructure.

Reports

UN: New green industrial age can be the breakthrough for Sustainable Development Goals

Amid growing food and energy crises, an uncertain global economic outlook, and the escalating impacts of climate change, the UN said that a sustainable industrial transformation is needed to close the widening development gap between countries, meet climate targets and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The 2023 Financing for Sustainable Development Report: Financing Sustainable Transformations says urgent, massive investments are needed to accelerate transformations including in electricity supply, industry, farming, transportation, and buildings.

Trade growth to slow to 1.7% in 2023 following 2.7% expansion in 2022

Global trade growth in 2023 is still expected to be subpar despite a slight upgrade to GDP projections since last fall, WTO economists said in a new forecast on 5 April. Weighed down by the effects of the war in Ukraine, stubbornly high inflation, tighter monetary policy, and financial market uncertainty, the volume of world merchandise trade is expected to grow by 1.7% this year, following 2.7% growth in 2022, a smaller-than-expected increase that was pulled down by a sharp slump in the fourth quarter.

The WTO’s trade projections, set out in the new “Global Trade Outlook and Statistics” report, estimate real global GDP growth at market exchange rates of 2.4% for 2023. Projections for both trade and output growth are below the averages for the past 12 years of 2.6% and 2.7% respectively.

1 in 6 people globally affected by infertility: WHO

Large numbers of people are affected by infertility in their lifetime, according to a new report published by WHO. Around 17.5% of the adult population – roughly 1 in 6 worldwide – experience infertility, showing the urgent need to increase access to affordable, high-quality fertility care for those in need.

The new estimates show limited variation in the prevalence of infertility between regions. The rates are comparable for high-, middle- and low-income countries, indicating that this is a major health challenge globally. Lifetime prevalence was 17.8% in high-income countries and 16.5% in low- and middle-income countries.

Events

Job Hunting in the Development Sector: Tips from Gates Foundation’s Top Recruiter

📅 April 11, 2023, at 16:00 CEST (Brussels time zone) | 10:00 AM Eastern (Washington, D.C. time zone)

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is known for its efforts to fight disease, poverty and inequality around the world. Since its inception, the foundation has allocated US$65.6 billion in grants, including US$6.7 billion in 2021. To manage its huge portfolio, the foundation relies on over 1,700 high-skilled employees who it describes as “an incredible group of compassionate, committed individuals”. How were they noticed by the Foundation in the first place? Do CVs really matter and how do they help you to stand out? What is the recruitment process at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation?

DevelopmentAid, jointly with Kathy Koo, a Senior Recruiter at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Irina Bondarenco, Career Center Director at DevelopmentAid, invite you to a webinar to answer the above questions, to update you on the best-in-class job search tools, to talk about CV tailoring processes, and to help you to ensure that your CV stands out in a competitive field.

With years of experience in talent acquisition, Kathy will discuss the differences between a ‘find me’ resume and a ‘targeted’ resume and explain exactly how to format and target your CV in order to be shortlisted for projects, while Irina will present DevelopmentAid’s job search tools.

Whether you’re just starting out as an expert in the field of international development or are an experienced professional looking to expand your opportunities, our webinar will take you through all the do’s and don’ts of how to get noticed by recruiters and allow your CV to successfully shine a light on your skills and qualifications.

Link for Registration

Impact First Digital Development Summit

📅 4-5 May 2023
Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon

The Impact First Summit, hosted by BAO Systems, will take place from May 4-5, 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal and is a global event that brings together speakers and organizations from the global health and development sector where together we explore the possibilities of achieving impact through technology and data innovations.

We believe digital technology is core to the future of the development sector, capable of improving development outcomes, driving economic growth, and lifting millions out of poverty. The rapidly changing data and technology landscape means that we have more information, evidence and insights than ever before, but efforts must be coordinated to ensure all countries have the tools, knowledge, and resources to use information effectively. By understanding the broad application of technologies across agriculture, health, education, governance, and environmental sectors, we can make meaningful gains.

The summit is designed to provide a forum for participants to engage in meaningful discussions, share ideas, and explore new opportunities to collaborate and make a positive difference in the world.

The Summit will feature plenary and breakout sessions, panel discussions, exhibitor tables, and networking opportunities. The venue offers excellent spaces for presentations, networking, and in-depth discussions, not to mention the scenic location by the waterfront in Lisbon. Join us as we spend two days discussing cutting-edge technologies and approaches to address the world´s most pressing development challenges.

If you are passionate about creating impact, whether you are an established leader, entrepreneur, investor, or simply interested in learning more about the field, then the Impact First Summit in Lisbon is an ideal event for you to attend. Join these organizations and more.

Who should attend

• Social entrepreneurs who are creating innovative solutions to social and environmental problems.
• Investors who are interested in supporting impact-driven businesses and initiatives.
• Business leaders who want to integrate sustainability and impact into their corporate strategies.
• Government officials and policy makers who are working to create a more sustainable and equitable future.
• Academics and researchers who are studying impact-driven approaches and solutions.
• Non-profit organizations and activists who are working towards social and environmental justice

The discount code DevelopmentAid gives a $150 discount, making the ticket cost $500.

Registration

Project Management for Development Professionals (Project DPro / PMD Pro) | Training

📅 4 -8 June 2023
In-person training

Trust Consultancy and Development (شركة ثقة للإستشارات و التطوير)(trustconsultancy.org) and RoadMap خارطة الطريق (rmdata360.com) are thrilled to announce our upcoming in-person training on “Project Management for Professionals” to be held in Erbil, Iraq 4th-8th June.