The UN initiative that has helped the private sector respond to over 100 crises Format When Tropical Cyclone Harold – a category 5 cyclone – made landfall in Vanuatu in April 2020, it was the first major climate-related disaster to hit a country during the COVID-19 pandemic. While international humanitarian support was slowed down because of travel restrictions, local businesses stepped up and led relief efforts. The Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC), a local network of 2,800 members, coordinated damage assessments and provided over 35 tons of food and non-food items to the worst-hit areas. This success story is just one of the hundreds of initiatives by Connecting Business Initiative (CBi) networks. Since its launch on 24 May 2016, the CBi networks have responded to over 100 crises, mobilized over US$52 million, and assisted 17 million people.