Droughts have become an urgent global issue. Aggravated by human-induced climate change and desertification, they threaten all types of countries, negatively impacting food security and socioeconomic development. And prospects are not reassuring as droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.
During a visit to Tajikistan, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed congratulated the country on its 30th anniversary of UN Membership and attended a Cooperation Framework signing ceremony that “reflects our strong partnership”. The joint UN-Tajikistan document, which was signed on Tuesday by Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda and UN Resident Coordinator Sezin Sinanoglu, sets out national development priorities and goals for the next four years.
Our UN teams are on the ground, working with governments and key stakeholders to bolster countries’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping ensure a smooth recovery. They tackle a range of multi-faceted priorities and key initiatives on a daily basis—from climate action to gender equality and food security—and utilize innovative approaches to problem-solving to better serve communities. Below are some highlights of their work this month.
“The weather here’s a lot drier for longer these days,” says Althea Spencer, the treasurer of the Mount Airy Farmers group, which is based in Northern Clarendon. “If you don’t have water, it makes no sense to plant seeds because they will just die.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the United Nations Country Team in the UAE quickly rose to the challenge, working together with the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai to provide immediate support and emergency relief to communities affected by the crisis all over the world.
Madam Maa Zenai stands proudly at the entrance to her brand-new shed. Inside is the small herd of cattle that has changed her life, thanks to a project that employed a ground-breaking partnership between IFAD and UN Women to empower rural women in China.
