The measure of world food prices rose in April, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan worsened and UNDP and Rare announced a partnership to address plastic pollution. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.
The measure of world food prices rose in April for first time in a year
The benchmark index of international food commodity prices rose in April for the first time in a year, amid increases in world quotations for sugar, meat, and rice, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 127.2 points in April 2023, up 0.6 percent from March. At that level, the Index was 19.7 percent below its level in April 2022, but still 5.2 percent higher than in April 2021.
Humanitarian crisis in Sudan worsens, with disproportionate impacts to women and girls
With over 600 people dead, 5,100 injured, approximately 730,000 displaced, and few health centers operational, the dire situation in Sudan is getting worse, with growing health and hunger concerns.
The conflict threatens the planting season which is set to begin at the end of May. If the season is missed, the number of people going hungry – at 11 million or 25 percent of the population prior to the current crisis – will increase. Before the conflict, one out of four people in Sudan was going to bed hungry. This additional (and imminent) threat to Sudan’s food system will impact women the most, a reality underscored by a recent analysis by CARE Sudan that found gender imbalances in the country’s existing hunger crises.
”With the ongoing crisis, women are eating less. Before the crisis, 42% of households headed by women had less food compared to 31% of male-headed households. Women are key in the food production chain and with current fighting, they can’t access the farms and agricultural inputs to produce food, leaving families and communities unable to get food. The conflict needs to end for Sudanese farmers to confidently return to their fields to support not only their families but also the wider community,” said David MacDonald, CARE Sudan Country Director.
UNDP and Rare announce partnership to address plastic pollution
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rare announced a global partnership to tackle plastic waste management and behavior change. The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) implemented by the UNDP and the Rare’s Center for Behavior and the Environment (BE.Center) are collaborating on this important initiative. This is part of UNDP’s efforts to advance the implementation of its Plastics Offer and Local Action Service Offer.
Plastic waste and pollution are among the greatest threats to environmental sustainability and human health worldwide. According to a 2020 report from the UNEP, an estimated 12 billion tons of plastic waste is expected to be in landfills and the natural environment by 2050. The increasing amount of plastic produced has caused a significant waste generation problem that has outpaced society’s ability to manage it effectively.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Is development aid more effective than humanitarian aid in fighting poverty?
There are 648 million people around the world who live in extreme poverty, surviving on just under US$2.15 a day. Many more than that live above the extreme poverty line but are classified as dwelling in poor economies or poverty, according to the World Bank.
These people rely on global aid to improve their standard of living, access to water, and medical care among other aspects of daily life. Multiple aid donors provide billions of dollars to address both humanitarian needs and development initiatives. For example, the U.S. President has contributed US$10 billion from the USAID budget to humanitarian aid in 2023 as part of a substantial US$60 billion intended for international development aid. While humanitarian aid provides assistance and support for countries facing unexpected adversities such as natural disasters, wars, and severe humanitarian crises, development aid focuses on long-term plans and on ways to reduce poverty by building facilities and infrastructure together with a workforce to achieve this goal.
See also: What is development aid and why is it important?
So, which programs are more effective in reducing poverty and boosting economic growth?
Read the full article.
Cross-border philanthropy reached $70 billion in 2020 despite pandemic – report
Total cross-border philanthropy amounted to $70 billion in 2020 showing high resilience in a year when humankind was badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The 11th edition of Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT) released by Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) contains information from 47 countries, representing about 61% of the global population and 85% of global GDP.
Read the full article.
Here’s what else has happened
Bangladesh: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that Cyclone Mocha is set to strike Cox’s Bazar refugee camp, home to over one million Rohingya refugees. The cyclone’s expected landfall could cause severe damage. Still reeling from a devastating fire in March that destroyed more than 2,600 shelters and critical infrastructure, over 850,000 refugees risk losing their homes and livelihoods.
Sudan violence: UNICEF is stepping up humanitarian support for children on the move affected by the ongoing conflict in Sudan. As violence continues, an estimated 82,000 children have fled to neighbouring countries and approximately 368,000 more are newly displaced inside the country.
Black Sea Initiative: The UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative, aimed at ensuring the flow of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizer amid global shortages exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has allowed the safe export of more than 30 million tonnes since it first began in July last year.
IFAD: With sharp reductions in methane emissions key to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is launching a new initiative to help developing countries lower methane emissions from agricultural and small-scale farming. Announced at the AIM for Climate Summit, the new program will receive US$3 million in support from the Global Methane Hub and US$ 1 million in support from the US State Department.
Ethiopia: Against a backdrop of multiple shocks, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, signed the Participatory Agriculture and Climate Transformation Programme (PACT) grant agreement for US$ 106.54 million. The programme will support rural households to sustainably improve their incomes and food and nutrition security and help them build their resilience.
Reports
Record number of 60.9 million internal displacements in 2022: IDMC Report
Nearly 61 million new internal displacements, or movements, were registered in 2022, according to a newly released Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) report, a 60 percent increase compared to the previous year. This figure is the highest ever reported and shows the volume of not just new displacements, but also repeated ones.
The Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) 2023 shows that conflict and violence triggered 28.3 million displacements, the highest figure in a decade, with Ukraine accounting for 60 per cent of the total.
EIB Global reports outline record 2022 investment up 50% with major financing in Ukraine and Africa
Despite the challenges of supporting Ukraine and investing in economic recovery after the pandemic, EIB Global, the development arm of the European Investment Bank, financed €10.8 billion in 2022, 50% more than the previous year’s figures, in its first year of existence.
In 2022, the EIB Group continued to support global healthcare, affordable energy, access to water, renewable power sources, and sustainable growth everywhere. Its investment also illustrated the EU bank’s swift response to the invasion of Ukraine, with €1.7 billion already disbursed to help the embattled country.
“The challenging geopolitical situation and conflicts happening around the world should not make us lose sight of our objective to promote a global, just transition to net zero,” said Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank. “If we want to stand a chance to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we need to forge sustainable partnerships and alliances at all levels. In its first year of existence, EIB Global proved that we are making an active contribution to a more equitable world under the banner of the European Union, in particular through our support to Global Gateway projects.”
Published this week, EIB Global Report: The Story gives more details about the projects that make a difference around the world, with sections on Ukraine, sustainability, climate, and energy.
IFU increased investments and impact 2022
In 2022, IFU contracted investments of DKK 1.5 billion, corresponding to a 50 per cent increase compared to 2021. Close to 90 per cent of the newly contracted direct investments were climate finance, thereby further strengthening IFU’s support for the green transition in developing countries. The investments included important advances in the Danish SDG Investment Fund, which is backed by large Danish pension funds and private investors.
In 2022, IFU contracted investments of DKK 1.5 billion, corresponding to a 50 per cent increase compared to 2021. This is stated in IFU’s annual report for the year 2022 which has been published.
The investments were made within IFU’s strategic priority sectors, including green energy and infrastructure, sustainable food as well as financial services, and are expected to create a positive impact in the developing countries, by e.g. creating access to water and clean cooking as well as supporting small holder farmers in improving their livelihood.
Events
SID-US 2023 Annual Conference
📅 24 May 2023
Washington, DC & Online
The SID-US (formerly SID-Washington) Annual Conference has been a Washington, DC tradition for development professionals for over 25 years. After the success of last year’s fully hybrid Conference, we are excited to once again provide both a virtual and in-person experience for an international community of attendees at our Annual Conference on Wednesday, May 24.
Sustainability Building for NGOs | Training
📅 11-15 June 2023
In-person training 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 “Sustainability Building for NGOs” to be held in Erbil, Iraq 11th-15th June.
