The COVID-19 pandemic continues its deadly march around the world. How will countries be able to “build back better” from this calamity? We know, in this respect, that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are key.
Adisa's schedule to make sure water is available at home required her to travel some 1.5 kilometres to fetch from a stream. After a hectic day, walking to get water was another strenuous task. Today, Adisa, a 28-year-old mother of five, no longer rushes from work.
In April, Cyclone Seroja hit Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste. It killed 41 people and displaced over 4,000, sweeping away property and homes. Members of the local LGBTQI community and an organization called Arcoiris were among the many frontline relief workers that stepped up to support local families.
COVID-19 and other challenges continue to jeopardize the health and well-being of people across the globe. UN country teams are not standing down. They continue the fight with continued determination. Today, we highlight some of the coordinated efforts.
On a two-day mission to Haiti, the UN deputy chief said on Friday that relief teams are “working day and night”, and that she was struck by the resilience of the Haitian people, who had mobilized quickly to support their neighbours in the aftermath of last week’s massive earthquake and subsequent tropical storm.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, on a two-day mission to Haiti, said the response to the country’s quake-related crisis presents an opportunity to forge greater national cohesion and chart a new way forward.
In the southern region of Madagascar, hundreds of thousands of people are suffering from one of the worst droughts in the region in 40 years. In the town of Amboasary Atsimo, for example, about 75 per cent of the population is facing severe hunger and 14,000 people are on the brink of famine. UN Resident Coordinator Issa Sanogo recently visited the region, where the population is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
On 16 August, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Stefan Priesner of Austria as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Iran, with the host Government’s approval.
