Weekly Roundup | Top international development headlines

Weekly Roundup | Top international development headlines

Countries agree to prioritize initiatives to improve the health of Indigenous populations, Burkina Faso is the world’s most neglected crisis and deadly impact of climate change in DR Congo. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.

Countries agree to prioritize initiatives to improve the health of Indigenous populations

A new resolution to accelerate efforts towards ensuring the health of Indigenous populations was approved at the 76th World Health Assembly, taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 21-30 May. The commitment is expected to have significant implications for the Americas, which is home to more than 62 million Indigenous persons.

Under the new resolution, countries will develop, finance, and implement national health plans for Indigenous peoples that ensure their equal right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

During a side-event to discuss the health of Indigenous people, Dr. Marcos Espinal, Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), underscored that Indigenous populations in the Americas are more likely to experience higher rates of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, as well as increased levels of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes.

Burkina Faso is the world’s most neglected crisis

For the first time, Burkina Faso tops the list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises, according to a new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Redirection of aid and attention toward Ukraine has increased the neglect of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

The annual list of neglected displacement crises is based on three criteria: lack of humanitarian funding, lack of media attention, and a lack of international political and diplomatic initiatives. The crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo ranks second, having appeared first or second on the list every year since its inception seven years ago. Colombia, Sudan, and Venezuela follow in this grim ranking.

World Vision warns of deadly impact of climate change in DR Congo as hundreds of pupils still missing following flood disaster

The villagers of Bushushu in eastern DR Congo wonder where all the children have gone following huge flash floods and landslides earlier this month. With hundreds still missing, thousands of people made homeless and crops and farmland washed away aid is needed on a massive scale.

In one school – Mabula Primary School – head teacher Amos Masumbuko, 39, takes the daily attendance roll and hopes more are on it. There used to be 773 pupils. Now there are only 304. He fears hundreds were killed, but wonders whether children might also have left the villages, which were devastated by the torrential rains of 2 – 5 May. Homes were buried, ripped apart, and swept away when the landslide and mud tore through the area.

The school is one of 35 where World Vision trains teachers in contemporary ways of teaching children how to read and write, provides school kits to children, as well as provides teaching and learning materials.

DevelopmentAid Editorials


UNDP reports record-high funding in 2022

UNDP has reported a record funding achievement of US$4.8 billion in 2022. Its recently published annual report shows that the organization has reached and impacted the lives of over 25 million individuals worldwide, thus making a difference in promoting sustainable development. The report also acknowledges the instrumental role of the contributors, with Japan taking the lead among the notable supporters of UNDP’s mission.

In 2022, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) delivered a substantial amount of US$4.8 billion, the highest funding level achieved in the last decade. This significant financial contribution enabled the UNDP to support developing countries in their pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across various critical areas, including poverty reduction, resilience building, governance, environment, energy access, and gender equality. The newly published UNDP annual report highlights some significant milestones, such as providing access to basic services for 25 million individuals in over 170 countries, supporting 11 million people in crisis situations, facilitating sustainable energy access for 4.6 million people, and implementing gender-responsive recovery solutions in 46 countries.

Read the full article.

International Children’s Day. Challenges and Opportunities | Experts’ Opinions

It is no secret that the future of a nation depends on the quality of education delivered to its children. Indeed, childhood is the most important period of a person’s life, serving as a foundation for the development of their behavior, skills, and even future income. However, even in the 21st century, over one billion children worldwide are still living in poverty with very little or no access to education and basic healthcare, and often facing hunger. On International Children’s Day, we asked our DevelopmentAid experts several questions in relation to this. Check their opinions about the most pressing issues in this article.

Key Takeaways:

  • Currently, out of approximately 2 billion children in the world aged zero to 14, an estimated 1 billion live in poverty.
  • Access to education, healthcare, clean water and other basic needs is the biggest challenge facing children today.
  • According to experts, technology is the main element that makes the difference between the education children receive today compared to that of 20 years ago.
  • Investing in children has numerous benefits and is considered crucial for social and economic development.

Read the full article.

Why plant trees and how does this impact the United Nations’ SDGs?

Trees are extremely important to the environment and all living things on Earth. They play the role of natural cooling mechanisms, improve access to safe drinking water and generate numerous jobs.

Read the full article.

Here’s what else has happened


Sudan: In its seventh week, the conflict in Sudan has depleted the resources of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), prompting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to double its Emergency Appeal to 60 million Swiss francs. It is also launching a second regional appeal of 40 million Swiss francs to support the influx of people fleeing to neighboring countries.

EU grant: The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union, has signed an EU grant agreement for over €50 million with the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine in Kyiv. The funds will support the agency in the emergency acquisition of temporary bridges to improve mobility, helping the country surmount obstacles caused by Russian attacks by connecting the Ukrainian population with the aid and services they need.

WHO: Following the resolution to strengthen access to quality emergency, critical and operative care (ECO) services across the globe approved at the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization has announced the Acute Care Action Network (ACAN), a global alliance of key actors and stakeholders committed to saving millions of lives by driving action on ECO through stronger action, together.

World Bank: The World Bank has released a new Country Economic Memorandum on Yemen, highlighting challenges faced by the country and opportunities for recovery and growth. The report, titled “Al Mustaqbal (The future): Glimmers of Hope in Dark Times,” uses innovative ways to gather data and thus provide a comprehensive analysis of Yemen’s current economic situation.

Reports


Closing the gender gap: New report highlights strategies to boost housing finance for women in emerging markets

A new report from IFC explores how differentiated approaches and tailored financial products and services can expand access to housing finance for women in developing countries. The report, Her Home II: Housing Finance for Women in Ghana, Senegal, and Indonesia provides country-specific insights into the barriers women face in obtaining housing finance and what steps can be taken to overcome them.

“By all and for all”: CERF helped people around the world in 2022

In 2022, the Central Emergency Response Fund showed that it is an indispensable component of the global humanitarian system, helping drive effective aid operations for people facing major emergencies. To explain in more detail, the CERF 2022 Annual Results Report is available.

Renewable power on course to shatter more records as countries around the world speed up deployment

With the global energy crisis as a catalyst, solar PV and wind are set to lead the largest annual increase in new renewable capacity ever, a new IEA report shows. Global additions of renewable power capacity are expected to jump by a third this year as growing policy momentum, higher fossil fuel prices and energy security concerns drive strong deployment of solar PV and wind power, according to the latest update from the International Energy Agency.

The growth is set to continue next year with the world’s total renewable electricity capacity rising to 4 500 gigawatts (GW), equal to the total power output of China and the United States combined, says the IEA’s new Renewable Energy Market Update, which was published.

Events


2023 EITI Global Conference

2023 EITI Global Conference

📅 13- 14 June 2023
Dakar, Senegal

The EITI’s flagship Global Conference will gather more than 1,000 stakeholders to take stock of progress in publishing and using open data to inform decision-making, analysis, and public debate on accountable natural resource management. Marking the EITI’s 20th anniversary, the conference will celebrate achievements in natural resource transparency and multi-stakeholder dialogue, while also looking to the future to consider how the EITI should adapt to a changing energy landscape and growing demand for an open and accountable resource sector.

Link for Registration

Astana International Forum 2023

Astana International Forum 2023

📅 8 – 9 June 2023
Kazakhstan

The Kazakh capital is hosting the highly anticipated Astana International Forum (AIF) under the aegis of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on June 8-9. The forum’s mission is to promote global cooperation and peace by discussing issues that are currently high on the international agenda, including climate change and advancing security and development.

Link for Registration

Asia Clean Energy Forum 2023

Asia Clean Energy Forum 2023

📅 13 – 16 June 2023
Manila, Philippines

The Asian Development Bank, along with its co-organizers the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Korea Energy Agency (KEA), is inviting clean energy practitioners from across the Asia and Pacific region—including government agencies, private sector, equipment and service providers, financiers, researchers, and other stakeholders—to join the 18th Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) to be held on 13–16 June 2023 in Manila, Philippines.

Link for Registration