11th Ebola outbreak, emergency aid to Central America and drug-resistant infections threaten to become next pandemic. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
11th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared over
An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is over, the government announced after a five-month response supported by the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners.
“This great achievement shows that together we can overcome any health challenge”, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, wrote in a tweet.
The outbreak in DRC’s northwestern Equateur Province emerged in early June and caused 130 Ebola cases and 55 deaths.
A key part of the response – with potential lessons for the global fight against COVID-19 – was the vaccination of more than 40,000 people at high risk of falling sick from the frequently fatal haemorrhagic disease, the WHO said in a statement. Like one of the COVID-19 candidate vaccines, the Ebola vaccine needs to be kept at super-cold temperatures to keep it from spoiling.
EU channels initial emergency aid to Central America
After Hurricane Eta hit Central America last week causing extensive damage, the EU is mobilising an initial €1.55 million in immediate emergency funding to assist those affected in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The funding will address urgent needs such as water, sanitation and hygiene services, health, and protection of the most affected and disadvantaged communities.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated by Panama. In response, Spain has dispatched items such as jerry cans, mosquito nets, and blankets to the country.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with the countries of Central America in this difficult time. We will do all we can to help, getting aid to the people on the ground. I am very thankful to Spain for their solidarity. Our thoughts are with all those affected and with the national authorities and brave first responders on the scene. The EU stands ready to provide further assistance”, said Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.
The EU’s emergency Copernicus satellite service is currently providing maps of the area and the EU’s 24/7 Emergency Response Coordination Centre is in close contact with the authorities of the affected countries to monitor the situation and channel further EU assistance.
Drug-resistant infections threaten to become next pandemic
As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) drastically rises threatening to turn into the next pandemic with serious implications for global health, agri-food systems, and economies, FAO is calling on actors across all sectors, from farmers to cooks, producers to consumers, to accelerate efforts to prevent the spread of drug-resistant microbes.
This World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18-24 November), the Organization highlights that everyone has a role to play to combat AMR, including stakeholders across the food and agriculture sectors, and rolls out recommendations to curb the spread of AMR.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microbes to persist or grow in the presence of drugs designed to inhibit or kill them. The process is accelerated by the use of antimicrobials designed to kill unwanted pathogens in humans, animals, and crops. In particular, the use of antimicrobials in human and animal health is fuelling resistance.
Currently, at least 700 000 people die each year due to drug-resistant diseases. More and more common diseases, including respiratory tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, and urinary tract infections, are becoming harder to treat. Drug resistance is also increasingly threatening our agri-food systems and global food security.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
AidWatch2020: EU member states are off-track from meeting their genuine aid targets
According to the AidWatch2020 report issued by CONCORD Europe, European Union member states are even further off-track in meeting their (genuine) aid target of 0.7% of their national income to be funneled to Official Development Assistance by 2030. The report notes that this makes the chances of meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals even more remote.
The COVID-19 pandemic expected to push 47 million more women and girls below the poverty line
According to the latest report issued by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), COVID-19 will dramatically increase poverty amongst women and girls.
Children in Nepal are deprived of the right to education due to school closures
Ahead of International Child Right’s Day which falls today, UNICEF released a new report on Thursday warning of the dire consequences for children as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses towards its second year. The majority of children in Nepal are found to have been deprived of their fundamental rights to education and wellbeing due to the indefinite closure of schools.
Here’s what else has happened
UNICEF: With powerful hurricanes battering Central America twice in less than two weeks, UNICEF is urgently appealing for US$42.6 million to meet the most critical humanitarian needs of over 646,000 people hit repeatedly by deadly floods and landslides in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Belize.
The European Commission: The Commission has announced an additional €3 million in humanitarian support to ensure critical assistance to the civilians most affected by the conflict in and around Nagorno Karabakh. This funding comes on top of €900,000 allocated since early October when the hostilities started.
USAID: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is deploying a Disaster-Assistance Response Team (DART) to respond to back-to-back hurricanes in Central America, where Hurricane Iota made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm just two weeks after Hurricane Eta hit the same region.
CABEI: From 2007 to date, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has contributed to improve the quality of life of families in the Dominican Republic with the approval of financing for a total amount of US$783.8 million directed to the public and private sectors of the country.
The United States: The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has obligated $18 million to support the provision of medical oxygen across 11 affected countries: the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; and the Republics of Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haïti, Honduras, Kenya, Mozambique, Perú, and Tajikistan.
France: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a €500,000 contribution from France to boost the resilience of chronically food-insecure families in Sudan.
Ukraine: Gender-based violence has long been a serious problem in Ukraine. Some 75 percent of women in the country said that they had experienced some form of violence since age 15, and one in three had experienced physical or sexual violence according to a 2019 survey supported by UNFPA.
Reports
Europe needs to prepare better for coming out of new strict containment measures
With the coronavirus (COVID-19) once again spreading rapidly, and the re-introduction of containment measures to flatten the curve of the epidemic, it is crucial for policymakers to plan effective strategies to re-open their economies to avoid further re-confinements. This should include much more effective testing, tracing, and isolation policies that people can easily follow, as well as improved social distancing measures, according to a new OECD report.
Read the report: Health at a Glance: Europe 2020.
Development funding and trade transparency needed, to stop COVID-19 dividing the world
Inequalities and vulnerabilities risk worsening long after a vaccine becomes available. UNCTAD charts a roadmap for a more inclusive and better recovery, emphasizing the need to reshape global production networks.
Read the report: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Trade and Development: Transitioning to a New Normal.
Pandemic exposed prevailing inequalities, environmental challenges and digital economy threats
COVID-19 has exploited persistent challenges of widening inequalities and environmental damage that have not been adequately addressed, as well as new sets of challenges caused by the acceleration of the digital economy, according to a new APEC Policy Support Unit’s report.
Read the APEC Regional Trends Analysis.
Events
The 3rd Global Conference of the SFS Programme | Virtual
? 25 November – 3 December 2020
Virtual
The 3rd Global Conference of the Sustainable Food Systems Programme aims to provide substantial input to the UN Food Systems Summit that is tentatively scheduled for the third quarter of 2021, building on the achievements of the SFS Programme’s membership during the first five years of implementation as well as the outcomes of the Programme’s previous two global conferences.
AUC-IEA Ministerial Forum: Securing Africa’s Energy Future in the Wake of Covid-19 | Virtual
? 24 November 2020 ? 13:00 – 16:00 (Paris/Pretoria)
Virtual
As displacement has become increasingly protracted, the actors are more and more from the humanitarian-development nexus, and the responses are becoming more focused on durable solutions, to support more dignified, inclusive, and comprehensive programmes for refugees and the communities that host them. Self- reliance, and empowerment need to be facilitated and, financial inclusion is part of the equation.
Smart Cities and Buildings 2020 | Virtual
? 24 November 2020 ? 9AM (EET)
Virtual
The resilience of our cities, society, and living standards has just gone through an unpredictable stress test. Our usually lively city centers and streets emptied faster than ever. The world changed exponentially in just a few months.
