In the wee hours of one morning last November, 64-year-old fisher Julian Bata and his wife were awakened by the howling of the wind against their dried grass roof and loud cracks of thunder — sounds that are all too familiar to the members of their coastal community on Manaet Island in the Philippines.
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.
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.
The United Nations and partners appealed today for US$187.3 million urgently needed to provide vital relief assistance to more than 800,000 people affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti, including shelter, water and sanitation, emergency healthcare, food, protection and early recovery.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Beirut blast, UN Country Team in Lebanon with diplomatic corps observe a minute of silence to honor the victims.
On August 4th, 2020, a devastating blast in a warehouse destroyed much of the centre of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Many neighbourhoods were destroyed, downtown Beirut looked like a war zone. Thousands were injured and some 200 people tragically lost their lives on that day and the days that followed. For many, their property and livelihoods were literally blown away.
One day some years ago, Chief Egunu Williams had just returned home from his farm in the south of Nigeria when a man from a nearby community came asking for a loan.
Life was hard for Violeta and her family in their little village Kabash, a two-hour drive from the town of Puka. Everything was far away — the health clinic, the hospital, the local administrative offices.
With tears in her eyes, she remembers the time when her little daughter collapsed and just barely regained consciousness, with no nearby hospital to take her. She also learned that both her daughters had been born with mental health issues and congenital heart disease. They needed specialized medical care, which was accessible only in town.
Roya sets the white fabric under the needle and presses the pedal of her sewing machine, adding finishing touches on the face mask she is making. Around her, rows and rows of other refugees are also churning out masks – much sought-after protection made necessary by the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite Georgia’s notable progress in recent years, people with disabilities remain one of the most excluded and marginalized groups of society,” says Anna Chernyshova, acting head of UNDP in Georgia.
