Opening remarks for the Assistant-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ramesh Rajasingham at the Commission on the Status of Women Side Event, 16 March 2021
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Excellencies, distinguished Panelists, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you to Canada for moderating this important event on promoting and ensuring the meaningful participation of displaced women and girls in humanitarian decision-making.
Thank you for being the model for us in terms of your leadership.
I am very pleased to be here today among colleagues and allies in the continued effort to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in humanitarian and displacement settings.
This discussion is putting into practice a key finding of the first system-wide evaluation on women and girls in crises by bringing women to the table, to inform and lead on decisions that concern their protection and rights.
Global Humanitarian Overview 2021, February Update
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The Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) for 2021 was launched on 1 December 2020 to provide aid to vulnerable people who face hunger, conflict, displacement, the impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic in 56 countries. As of 28 February, requirements were $35.8 billion to assist 157 million of the 234 million people in need in 56 countries. Some adjustments to requirements and the numbers of people in need and to receive assistance have been made since the GHO launch. More adjustments are expected as inter-agency plans are finalized in the coming months.
Since December, two plans have been added to the GHO 2021. The Honduras Flash Appeal and the Madagascar Grand Sud Flash Appeal. The following Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) have been published and are tracked on FTS: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic (CAR), Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, occupied P
International donors must act now to prevent a widespread famine in Yemen [EN/AR/FR]
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(New York, Stockholm, Bern, 1 March 2021) - António Guterres, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, today convenes a high-level pledging event, co-hosted by the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland, to call for immediate funding to prevent a large-scale famine in Yemen.
Two thirds of Yemenis need humanitarian assistance to survive. More than 16 million people will face hunger this year, and nearly 50,000 Yemenis are already starving to death in faminelike conditions. This year, nearly half of Yemen’s children under age 5 will suffer from acute malnutrition, including 400,000 who could die without urgent treatment.
Summary Record, IASC ad hoc Principals meeting, 23 February 2021
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Introduction
Mr. Mark Lowcock, the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) and Chair of the IASC, convened an ad hoc IASC Principals meeting to discuss issues on ongoing operational issues as well as COVID-19 response and priorities of the PSEA Champion for 2021.
COVID-19 Update
Dr. Ibrahima Soce-Fall, WHO Assistant Director-General for Emergency Response, updated Principals on developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO noted a global decline in the number of cases by 17% and deaths by 10% for the fourth consecutive week. As of 23 February, 111,419,939 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,470,772 deaths, were reported to WHO. WHO reported COVID-19 mutation strains they’re tracking, identified in the UK, South Africa and Brussels. Meanwhile in low resource and humanitarian settings, there is general decrease in the number of cases except for East Africa and East Mediterranean. However, this does not provide
11 November 2020 The Committee on Victim Assistance of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, composed of Italy (Chair) Chile, Sweden and Thailand, convened a virtual Victim Assistance Experts Meeting on 11 November 2020, in the lead up to the Eighteenth Meeting of States Parties (18MSP) of the Convention.
The VA Experts Meeting was held in accordance with mandate of the Committee to provide “advice to the States Parties in the fulfilment of their commitments under Oslo Action Plan (OAP)” and to “facilitate discussion on ways and means of enhancing victim assistance and to ensure the wellbeing of mine victim.” The VA Experts Meetings provide opportunity for the exchange of experiences and best practices in realising the rights and needs of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities. As of November 2020, 30 States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention have reported having significant numbers of landmine survivors, with “the greatest responsibility to