United Nations published this video item, entitled “Climate, Lebanon, Burkina Faso & other topics – Daily Briefings (23 July 2021)” – below is their description.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Highlights:
-Deputy Secretary-General
-Climate/G20
-Climate
-Lebanon
-Syria
-Ethiopia
-Burkina Faso
-El Salvador
Climate
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today said that water-related hazards dominate the list of disasters in terms of both the human and economic toll over the past 50 years.
According to WMO’s Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes, of the top 10 disasters, the hazards that led to the largest human losses during the period have been droughts with 650,000 deaths, storms – 577,232 deaths, floods 58,700 deaths, and extreme temperature, 55,736 deaths. That Atlas will be published in September.
With regard to economic losses, the top 10 events include storms and floods.
The data shows that over the 50-year period, weather, climate and water hazards accounted for 50 per cent of all disasters, 45 per cent of all reported deaths and 74 per cent of all reported economic losses at the global level.
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said that “no country – developed or developing – is immune. Climate change is here and now. It is imperative to invest more in climate change adaptation, and one way of doing this is to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems.”
Lebanon
More than four million people, including one million refugees, are at immediate risk of losing access to safe water in Lebanon – that’s according to UNICEF. With the rapidly escalating economic crisis, shortages of funding, fuel and supplies such as chlorine and spare parts, UNICEF estimates that most water pumping will gradually cease across the country in the next four to six weeks.
If the public water supply system collapses, UNICEF estimates that water costs could skyrocket by 200 per cent a month when securing water from alternative or private water suppliers.
Also concerning Lebanon, I’d like to announce that the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will be travelling to the Middle East from 25-30 July, where he will be visiting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.
Throughout his visit to Lebanon and Israel, he will hold meetings with Government officials and key stakeholders to discuss UNIFIL’s operations and priorities. He will also visit the UNIFIL area of operations and meet with the personnel of UNIFIL to thank them for their service in a challenging environment.
And you’d asked about yesterday’s Security Council consultations on Lebanon, which included briefings by Mr. Lacroix and by Joanna Wronecka, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon.
Focusing on the recent developments in Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka highlighted the country’s multiple and accumulating socio-economic, financial and political difficulties and their impact on the people.
She reiterated the UN’s calls for the formation of a fully empowered government that can put the country on the path to recovery. And the Special Coordinator added that the United Nations is doing what it can to mitigate the situation, but ultimately the responsibility for salvaging Lebanon lies in the hands of Lebanon’s leaders.
Speaking of the Security Council – today at 12:30, it will hold an open meeting on Cyprus. We have been told that the Permanent Representative of Cyprus will speak at the stakeout following that meeting.
Burkina Faso
New Government data released this week tells us that in the first half of the year, 237,000 people fled their homes to seek refuge in other parts of the country. This is a sharp increase compared to the 96,000 people registered during the second half of 2020.
In total, more than 1.3 million people have been displaced inside the country in the past two years.
UNHCR is also alarmed by the increase in the number of people seeking safety across the country’s borders. In the past six months, the total number of refugees and asylum seekers from Burkina Faso has nearly doubled, reaching 38,000 people across the region.
UNHCR is calling for concerted action towards peace and stability in the Sahel region, as well as for additional resources to address the growing humanitarian needs in Burkina Faso and neighbouring countries.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=23%20July%202021
United Nations YouTube Channel
Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.
