The conflict in Tigray erupted so suddenly as to catch thousands of Ethiopians unawares. To respond to the rapidly growing influx of refugees in Sudan, the UN and partners have finalized a humanitarian preparedness plan to assist nearly two million people.
Born into the privilege and comforts of a high-caste Brahmin family in Nepal, Ratna Khawas’s life changed drastically when she got married to someone outside her social class, in 1968. She and her new husband moved to his home village in Belbari, where there were no toilets or handwashing facilities. That shock set her on what became a lifelong quest to improve sanitation for her and her neighbours.
Tens of thousands of refugees have been crossing the border from Ethiopia to Sudan since 7 November, fleeing conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. In addition to the current emergency response, UN humanitarian agencies have launched the development of a response plan targeting 200,000 individuals for a 6-month period.
Currently, half the world’s population does not have access to safely managed sanitation. This has profound negative impact on health, education and economic outcomes for countries and communities. The Sanitation and Hygiene Fund was established to raise US$2 billion over the coming five years to support countries in bringing sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health to all.
Sometimes, the crisis in West Africa and the Sahel region is so difficult and so complicated as to seem virtually unsolvable. But where many people see only a mission impossible, the United Nations sees an opportunity.
Global hunger and population displacement, which were already at record levels when COVID-19 struck, could “surge” as migrants and those reliant on a dwindling flow of remittances desperately seek work to support their families, a new UN report has warned.
For farmers in Myanmar, the COVID-19 pandemic is adding to growing unpredictability, in a sector already struggling to cope with the effects of climate change. The UN is working closely with the country’s government to help them to adapt and thrive.
The global population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050, which will significantly increase the demand for food. The steady increase in hunger since 2014, after a decade of progress, indicates that there is a need to accelerate and scale-up action to strengthen the resilience and adaptability of food systems and livelihoods.
