April 2022 — Page 4 of 15 — Human Rights & Charity

Middle East: ‘No justification’ for terrorism or violence against civilians, Security Council hears

Despite “inflammatory rhetoric and violent clashes” between Palestinians and Israeli Security Forces (ISF) at the Holy Sites, Tor Wennesland said that the situation in Jerusalem, remains “relatively calm.”

However, rocket launching in Gaza is “undermining the fragile stability that has prevailed since last May,” he continued.

“Let me be clear: there is no justification for acts of terrorism or violence against civilians. Violence, provocations, and incitement must stop immediately and be unequivocally condemned by all”.

Moreover, all political, religious and community leaders must “do their part to reduce tensions, uphold the status quo at the Holy Sites, and ensure their sanctity is respected”.

Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders have made some commendable efforts to ease tensions, condemn attacks and rein in violence that “should continue,” Mr. Wennesland told the Ambassadors, citing regional and international partners’ help in restoring calm at the Holy Sites and ensuring continued access for Muslim worshippers.

Deadly attacks

Daily violence has escalated sharply in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and in Israel, the senior UN official stated.

“In the occupied West Bank and Israel, 23 Palestinians, including three women and four children, were killed by Israeli security forces (ISF) during demonstrations, clashes, search-and-arrest operations, attacks and alleged attacks against Israelis, and other incidents, and 541 Palestinians, including 30 women and 80 children, were injured”.

Moreover, Israeli settlers or other civilians perpetrated 66 attacks against Palestinians resulting in nine injuries and/or damage to Palestinian property.

“In all, 12 Israelis, including two women, as well as three foreign nationals, were killed and 82 Israelis, including some six children and four women, as well one foreign national, were injured by Palestinians in shooting, stabbing and ramming attacks, clashes, the throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails, and other incidents,” Mr. Wennesland said.

In total, Palestinians perpetrated 104 attacks against Israeli civilians resulting in injuries and/or damage to Israeli property. Over two weeks, four terrorist attacks took place inside Israel – the deadliest such attacks in years.

The Special Coordinator elaborated on a heat-breaking list of casualties on both sides since 22 March, saying, “perpetrators of all acts of violence must be held accountable and brought swiftly to justice.”

‘Deeply troubling’

Turning to Gaza, “the security, humanitarian and economic situation remains deeply troubling,” said the Special Coordinator, shining a light on barriers in accessing health care.

“Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer as a result of years of severe economic and movement restrictions resulting from the Israeli closure regime, as well as the nature of Hamas rule and the ongoing threat of violence”.

Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer as a result of years of severe economic and movement restrictions – UN Special Coordinator

After several months with no rocket fire, militants in Gaza launched five rockets towards Israel, with one causing property damage in the Israeli town of Sderot. The others were either intercepted by the Iron Dome system, landed short in the Strip, or in open areas inside Israel.

Following the launches, Israeli authorities closed the Israeli Erez crossing to Palestinian workers and traders.

“The indiscriminate launching of rockets towards Israeli population centres violates international law and must stop immediately,” Mr. Wennesland underscored.

Upbeat moves

Some positive developments took place as the Israeli Government approved 20,050 permits for Palestinian workers from Gaza to enter Israel, in addition to some existing 2,500 permits for traders and businessmen.

And the Government also allocated some $12 million to improving the crossings between Gaza and Israel.

Moreover, following an agreement between both sides, preparations are underway to facilitate into Gaza, dual-use materials and equipment needed to repair and maintain fishing boats as part of revitalizing the fishing sector, which Mr. Wennesland upheld, “should pave the way for a similar easing of restrictions in other sectors”.

Ukraine fallout

Following the Ukrainian conflict, rising prices and market disruptions across the Middle East vulnerable families in the OPT are under threat of food security.

The quarterly distribution cost of the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has increased by 42 per cent since the end of 2021 in Gaza – where the UN accounts for nearly 60 per cent of food supply.

Without additional funding, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNRWA will not be able to meet the Palestinian’s food needs this year, which could lead to destabilization across the OPT, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

He appealed for urgent support to UNRWA, which faces a critical financial situation and urged the parties, regional partners and international organizations to move the Palestinian Authorities (PA) onto “a firmer fiscal footing”, while addressing broader systemic issues.

Spiralling tensions

Violence over the past month has underscored that managing the conflict is not a substitute towards resolving it.

The UN official encouraged lowering tensions, maintaining calm and addressing conflict drivers, and added that settlements be halted, the PA’s fiscal stability shored up and Palestinian institutions strengthened to lay the foundations for a political process towards a two-State reality.

Latest offense

Amidst ongoing tensions in Israel and the OPT, Mr. Wennesland raised his concern over rocket fire across the Blue Line into Israel this morning, which Israel responded to with artillery fire into Lebanon.

There were no casualties reported and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to engage with the Lebanese Armed Forces to increase its counter rocket launching operations to prevent further such incidents and contribute to stability along the Blue Line.

Population and Development Commission: ‘Perfect Storm’ of crises take shape

While sounding the alarm over the planet’s unequal COVID-19 recovery and notable reductions in public spending for youth, older people and other vulnerable populations, officials from across the UN system stressed that this multipronged crisis has a “decidedly female face.”

Opening its fifty-fifth session under the theme “Population and sustainable development, in particular sustained and inclusive economic growth,” marks success for a body that has historically been plagued by gridlock and disagreement.

Population, poverty, economic growth

Commission Chair Enrique A. Manalo said that efforts to slow population growth, decrease poverty, realize economic progress, protect the environment and reduce unsustainable consumption and production are all mutually reinforcing.

With poverty and inequality gaining renewed attention amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the insights outlined in the Programme of Action agreed upon at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt are as relevant today as ever.

Although the world’s challenges are not caused by population growth, they are compounded by it, making it more difficult to tackle, he said.

Rising inequality

Rebecca Grynspan, head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), warned that a systemic debt crisis is unfolding for billions in the developing world – with inflation at a multi-decade high and civil unrest brewing in all corners of the world.

Meanwhile, progress towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been severely hampered as inequalities are rising.

She drew attention to the world’s large generation of young people, as well as women, voicing hope that their innovative ideas will help reverse these negative trends.

‘Gathering storm of adversity’

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed agreed that the pandemic lent a fresh urgency to the challenges being discussed by the Commission. COVID-19 kept boys and girls out of school, increased the burden of care work — especially for women — and exacerbated gender-based violence.

At the same time, the world remains far off track on the goal of eliminating hunger and malnutrition by 2030, and the numbers of people affected by hunger are projected to increase by tens of millions as the war in Ukraine causes food and energy prices to skyrocket.

“In the face of this gathering storm of adversity, we must come together as an international community,” she said, adding, “we urgently need to renew the social contract to rebuild trust and social cohesion.”

High stakes for women, girls

Meanwhile, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) chief Natalia Kanem said that COVID-19 has made painfully clear the need for massive investments in family planning services and national health systems that are universal, resilient, data-driven and adequately staffed.

“Lack of bodily autonomy and reproductive choices continue to block women’s path to equality and full participation in economic life,” she said, expressing concern over declining funding for population-related matters – especially sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights – as countries shift their priorities amid the pandemic.

“We cannot afford further reversals – the stakes for women, girls and young people, and for their societies, are far too high.”

Critical care work

In her keynote address, Jayati Ghosh, Professor in the Department of Economics, at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, emphasized that the “perfect storm” of challenges described by Ms. Grynspan cannot be tackled without inclusion.

That means reducing inequalities, which will always engender backlash and pushback.

She also voiced concern over the continuing disinvestment in care work, a burden which will only increase amid future demographic challenges and climate change impacts.

“If we do not empower women … we will be unable to deal with the major challenges facing society,” she cautioned.

Development financing crucial to get global economy back on track

“Financing for developing is an essential part of the solution,” Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said on behalf of the UN chief, adding that so far, the global response has fallen far short.

For this reason, the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance was established to ensure high-level political leadership; get ahead of the food security, energy, and financing challenges; and implement a coordinated global response, she informed participants.

Development challenges

The President of the Economic and Social Council, Collen Vixen Kelapile, brought the attendees up to date on an increasing array of interrelated global crises that underline that no country, rich or poor, is immune to external shocks.

He elaborated that the SDGs are facing perhaps the “greatest threat” since their adoption. COVID-19 has exacerbated trends that are “contributing to cataclysmic effects” on development, he said, and the poorest and most vulnerable are impacted the greatest.

“Millions of people around the world have been pushed deeper into extreme poverty. Inequality is rising, and the gap between developed and developing countries is growing,” said the senior UN official.

Other pressing concerns

At the same time, he pointed to the impacts of carbon emissions on global climate, along with a geopolitical crisis that is driving refugee flows, causing severe disruptions on global supply chains for essential commodities, and also contributing to food insecurity in parts of the world.

Moreover, macroeconomic trends affecting least developed and low-income countries have been “dire”, according to Mr. Kelapile, who explained that while developed nations funded pandemic recovery by borrowing at low costs, developing States faced a cost of debt servicing barrier – limiting their ability to invest in infrastructure, housing, and social services.

More than half of these fragile countries are now in, or at risk of, debt distress, while many are experiencing slow economic recovery – in which estimates indicate that one in five will remain below pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023.

These countries are compounded by continued hurdles in accessing vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics – critical for ending the pandemic.

“In light of these complex challenges, international cooperation, global solidarity and multilateralism remain the surest way to solve these global challenges,” he stated.

The platform we need

Noting its universal participation, the ECOSOC president described the Forum as “the global platform we need to advance action on these challenges”.

As a Forum that “unites us”, and with a track record of “delivering consensus,” he called for an “ambitious outcome, that demonstrates the solidarity of Member States in these trying times.”

“It is only through urgent and coordinated action that we can mobilize the resources that will turn the trajectory around, lift people out of extreme poverty, prevent the worst effects of climate change, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” he concluded.

Humanitarians seek $2.25 billion for Ukraine response

The figure is more than double the initial appeal published just days after Russia invaded the country on 24 February.

“Two months on, needs have continued to rise, while the humanitarian response has expanded significantly in scale and scope – enabled by the rapid funding allocated against the initial Flash Appeal – prompting a revision and extension of the Ukraine Flash Appeal until August 2022,” they wrote.

Ukraine has a population of 44 million, and the war has left some 15.7 million in need.

Massive devastation, mounting needs

The conflict has caused the world’s fastest growing displacement crisis since the Second World War, uprooting nearly 13 million people.

More than seven million are internally displaced while 5.2 million have crossed into neighbouring countries, such as Poland, and beyond.

The massive devastation of urban centres and the destruction of civilian infrastructure have severely disrupted healthcare and other critical services.

Last week, the UN Office in Ukraine reported that some 136 attacks on health care facilities have been recorded since the start of the war, representing nearly 70 per cent of worldwide attacks on the sector so far this year. 

Bringing desperately-needed aid

The updated flash appeal targets 8.7 million people, more than half of whom are women.

It is organized under five main strategies, which include delivering aid in the hardest-to-reach areas. UN-led convoys have so far delivered supplies on five occasions, and more are planned in the coming weeks and months.

The plan further calls for providing assistance as close as possible to people in need, including supporting organizations working in areas under threat and ensuring supplies are available in the event pipelines are cut off.

Humanitarians are also scaling up cash transfers to displaced people, with the number of people reached rising from just under 18,500 to more than 263,000 in the past three weeks alone.

The appeal places people, gender equality and protection at the centre of the response, and includes measures aimed at enhancing accountability and preventing sexual exploitation and abuse.

Humanitarians also will ensure their work is principled, realistic and feasible, as well as suitable and accessible for all gender and age groups.

Meeting with leaders

The revised plan comes ahead of the UN Secretary-General’s meetings this week with both the Foreign Ministers and Presidents of Ukraine and Russia.

UN chief António Guterres is travelling to Moscow, after having met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Monday.

During the meeting, Mr. Guterres expressed his support for Turkey’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in relation to the war in Ukraine, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York.

“He and President Erdoğan reaffirmed that their common objective is to end the war as soon as possible and to create conditions to end the suffering of civilians.  They stressed the urgent need for effective access through humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians and deliver much needed assistance to impacted communities,” said Mr. Haq.

The Secretary-General will have a working meeting and lunch with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, and will be received by President Vladimir Putin. 

On Thursday he will have a working meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, and will be received by the country’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Secretary-General will also meet with UN staff on the ground in Ukraine to discuss the scaling up of humanitarian assistance.

‘This is the worst drought in forty years’: Millions of Ethiopians at risk from failed rains

As a result of the drought, Zeineba, 60, was forced into the most difficult decision of her life: to leave her neighborhood behind and move to another village, to save her life and that of her family. “My livestock perished from lack of water and pasture, and could not survive the harsh drought anymore. It is painful,” she lamented.

In Somali Region, as in other pastoral areas, livestock are an essential means of survival for the large majority of people, and key to generating income in local markets. Millions like Zeineba have lost their livelihoods, and been forced to move to places where they can receive humanitarian assistance from local people, government or humanitarian organizations.

As the situation worsened in her village, Zeineba started out on foot with her seven children. It took them seven days to reach Higlo humanitarian site for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

‘The situation is dire’

“This is the worst drought in forty years,” says President of Somali Region, Mustafe Mohammed Omer. “The government responded on time to the immediate impact of the drought by providing humanitarian assistance. We will also continue to work assiduously to mitigate the effect of the drought on the people.”

“But the situation is dire”, continues Mr. Omar. “Responding to the increasing needs requires huge resources. Putting all the resources of the region to the drought response will also derail ongoing large-scale development initiatives that have long-term and transformative effects for our communities”.

According to a recent update on the drought issued by Mr. Omar’s office, an estimated one million livestock have also died across 10 drought-affected zones in Somali Region. Livestock across the region are in poor health, and many more are expected to perish from increases in disease during the upcoming rainy season. Vaccination campaigns and livestock feed to save the core breeding stock are urgently needed.

Preparing for droughts and floods

Meanwhile, the United Nations, along with partners on the ground, is supporting affected families with food, water, nutrition, shelter, and other non-food needs.

“Preparations to enable and support a timely response to the ongoing dire humanitarian situation, build resilience, and adapt to the climate crisis are critical for alleviating the impact of the drought on millions of people in the region”, says Catherine Sozi, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia.

Flooding could occur during the coming rainy season, which will require a coordinated response and immense resources to protect the communities already being severely impacted by the drought. Fresh funding is urgently needed to address the growing needs of the affected population, including internally displaced persons and the host community.

The UN is supporting longer-term government and community efforts to help communities to be better prepared to cope with droughts and other risks in the future, and is working to improve coordination between all humanitarian bodies in the region.

On Tuesday, Martin Griffiths, the UN head of humanitarian affairs, will take part in a high-level roundtable on the drought in the Horn of Africa

'Tomorrow could be too late': The UN calls for an immediate halt to fighting in Mariupol, Ukraine

“The lives of tens of thousands including women, children, and older people, are at stake in Mariupol,” said Amin Awad in a statement. “We need a pause in fighting right now to save lives. The longer we wait the more lives will be at risk. They must be allowed to safely evacuate now, today. Tomorrow could be too late”.

Easter in war

Almost a week ago, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres had called for a humanitarian pause in hostilities as Orthodox Christians celebrate Holy Week.

On Easter Day, Awad reiterated the UN chief´s appeal for a halt to fighting to allow life-saving supplies into Mariupol and other areas under attack and enable the departure of those wanting to leave amid reports of the situation in Mariupol deteriorating dramatically.

“At a time of a rare calendar alignment of the religious holidays of Orthodox Easter, Passover and Ramadan, it is the time to focus on our common humanity, setting divisions aside,” he said.

Humanitarian situation deteriorating

According to UN agencies, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, as a result of ongoing hostilities chiefly taking place in eastern and southern oblasts.

Over a quarter of Ukraine’s population is currently displaced internally or in neighbouring countries.

The latest assessment of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that around 60 per cent of those displaced are women, and more than half of those displaced have expressed their need for food.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that over one-quarter of internally displaced families with children under the age of five has reported difficulties in feeding their children since the start of the conflict.

As hostilities intensify, the basic needs of people stranded in hard-to-reach areas increase, while also hampering efforts to establish humanitarian corridors to both evacuate civilians and deliver life-saving assistance.

The most urgent and critical needs are in these locations with high levels of insecurity, disrupted food supply and retail capacities, and limited or sporadic humanitarian access, such as Mariupol.

Working towards a malaria-free world

“Landmark recommendations on the use of the first vaccine against malaria – WHO Regional Director for Africa, RTS,S – were released by the World Health Organization (WHO) late last year”, said WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti, referring to a protein-based malaria inoculation.

“This vaccine will be used to prevent malaria among children aged six months to five years, who live in moderate- to high-transmission settings”, she added.

Use measures wisely

Noting that the day is marked annually on 25 April to focus global attention on the mosquito-borne infectious disease, and its devastating impact, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa Dr. Moeti said that this year aligns with her call to urgently scale up innovation and deploy new tools to battle malaria, while also advocating for equitable access to prevention and treatment – within the context of building health system resilience.

“While this is a ground-breaking advance in the development of new tools to fight this disease, with the potential to save millions of lives, supplies are currently limited”, she said.

As such, it is important to ensure that available doses are being used for maximum impact, while continuing to be accessible to those most at risk.

Considerable threat

Malaria remains a significant public health and development challenge, according to WHO.

In the last year, about 95 per cent of the estimated 228 million cases occurred in the WHO/AFRO Region, along with 602,020 reported deaths.

Six of those worst-impacted countries reportedly account for up to 55 per cent of cases globally, and for 50 per cent of these deaths.

“Despite some slowing of progress to reduce malaria cases and deaths, and the disruptions to health services caused by COVID-19, we are still much further ahead than we were in 2000. We need to reignite that momentum, and build on the recent advances”, the WHO official attested.

Strategizing

Meanwhile, the UN agency UNITAID said that more than two-thirds of all deaths from malaria occur in African children under age five.

With pilots co-funded by UNITAID, the Global Fund and GAVI, the world’s first malaria vaccine is being delivered to children as part of a comprehensive package of preventive care.

Vector control, which targets disease-spreading mosquitoes, is a highly effective and vital component of malaria elimination strategies.

With investments into next-generation bed nets that combat growing mosquito resistance, new spatial repellents, and by treating humans and livestock with medicine that kills mosquitoes who bite them, UNITAID is driving progress to advance new and effective tools.

Goals ahead

And with work to improve screening and treatment for relapsing P. vivax malaria – the most common type of malaria outside of sub-Saharan Africa – UNITAID is helping improve care for people in Asia-Pacific and Latin American countries.

The WHO global malaria strategy calls for a 90 per cent worldwide reduction of cases and death by 2030 – a goal that requires urgent investment to develop and deploy crucial innovations to protect people everywhere from malaria.

This requires a focus on research; leveraging evidence for the efficient use of resources while producing measurable results; working on drug and insecticide resistance; and attention on new strains arising in the region that are more difficult to detect and treat.

Commitment to fight

World Malaria Day is an occasion to “renew political commitment and encourage continued investment in malaria prevention and control”, said Dr. Moeti, calling on countries and communities affected by malaria to work closely with development partners to eliminate the disease while also contributing to achieving the other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“I personally, and the WHO Regional Office in Africa, remain fully committed to the fight against malaria,” she spelled out, assuring that “we can overcome the challenge if we collaborate closely with governments, partners and communities… to achieve a malaria-free Africa”.

Volunteers demonstrate compassion of Ramadan in Indonesia: A UN Resident Coordinator blog

As Indonesia celebrates Ramadan, Ms Julliand and Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers explain* why volunteerism encapsulates the generosity and compassion of the Muslim holy month.

“When a 7.5 magnitude earthquake tore through Palu, Central Sulawesi, in September 2018, two memories surfaced for Moh. Tofan Saputra. He recalled seeing footage of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on television, which killed close to 230,000 people. He also remembered how as a junior high-school student, flood waters had inundated his family home, gutted his parents’ business, and put his education on hold.

Those memories moved Tofan, then 24, to travel from Luwuk about 12 hours’ drive away, to assist Palu residents after the earthquake hit. “We were very panicked for our loved ones. We could not contact them because there was no phone connection and electricity,” Tofan says of the immediate aftermath of the disaster that killed more than 4,300 people.

Through a local organization, he joined emergency food distribution efforts, helped reunite lost children separated from their families, and arranged psychological support services for those in shock. In an environment where looting had contributed to an atmosphere of mistrust, Tofan’s understanding of local community dynamics proved critical, “the community approach is very important, and it is the role of the volunteer to promote social inclusion between the victims,” he says.

The spirit of gotong royong

In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, millions of volunteers like Tofan embody the values of generosity and compassion the holy month of Ramadan esteems. In a prominent 2018 poll, some 53% of Indonesians said they had volunteered their time to an organization within the previous month. So venerable is Indonesia’s tradition of community self-help that it has its own nomenclature: gotong royong, meaning mutual assistance.

Indonesia’s spirit of volunteerism finds echoes in many other countries. The UN Volunteers’ (UNV) flagship 2022 State of the World’s Volunteerism report, draws on case studies across several continents to explore how cooperation between volunteers and governments can contribute to building more equal, inclusive societies. The report estimates that 862 million people volunteer globally every month, or about one in every seven people. Their contribution is integral to the new social contract UN Secretary-General António Guterres says the world must build as it navigates the twin crises of COVID-19 and the climate emergency.

Situated along the Pacific Rim of Fire, Indonesia is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries. In 2021, some 3,034 disasters impacted 8.3 million people here, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Disasters, including COVID-19, set back the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and exacerbated pre-existing inequalities.

The UN supports all aspects of the Indonesian Government’s disaster response efforts. In 2021, that support included forming an oxygen task force to coordinate the response to oxygen scarcity-related issues during Indonesia’s 2021 surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths It is often volunteers who are at the forefront of disaster response.

After the eruption of Mount Semeru on 4 December 2021 killed more than 50 people and displaced a further 10,000 in Lumajang Regency, East Java, 25 midwife Restu Nur Intan Pratiwi was among hundreds of locals to come to the regency’s assistance. She drove 90 minutes from her home in the city of Jember after searching online for volunteering opportunities in the area.

In Lumajang, Restu soon realized existing support services did not address the specific needs of women, “such as providing menstrual pads, or special milk and vitamins for pregnant women.” Through a volunteer organization called Relawan Negeri she began providing medical check-ups for pregnant women at emergency shelters. She also coordinated with a local hospital to arrange free access to ultrasound services.

Gender sensitive interventions like Restu’s are vital to rebuilding sustainably after a disaster, but they can be inhibited by unequal gender dynamics within volunteering. For example, men are more likely to take part in formal volunteering, while women are more likely to volunteer informally, which tends to have a lower status, attracts less recognition and receives less practical support than formal volunteering. The State of the World’s Volunteering report advises policymakers to adopt gender-sensitive measures that can optimize women’s participation, for example, by ensuring women have access to decision-making processes.

The spirit of Gotong Royong goes back generations, but since 2004, Indonesia’s Ministry of Social Affairs has formalized volunteering through the Taruna Siaga Bencana (TAGANA). By the end of 2020, there were more than 39,000 TAGANA in Indonesia, with a further 63,000 “friends of TAGANA” in professions such as journalism, the arts, and civil society.

In 2021, the UN partnered with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to develop online training modules for TAGANA, including a competency-based capacity-building framework that emphasizes gender-inclusivity in humanitarian assistance.

Twi Adi, a 38-year-old volunteer from Malang, East Java has been a TAGANA since 2006. He has participated in several emergency response activities, including in the wake of the December 2021 Mount Semeru eruption. The Ministry of Social Affairs provides TAGANA with a small allowance, but Twi says the benefits of volunteering extend far beyond monetary remuneration. “I love helping others and making a difference at the community level,” he says, “I am not rich, but I can give my time and energy for my community.”

* A version of this article was originally published in the Jakarta Post on April 18, 2022

UN Resident Coordinator

The UN Resident Coordinator, sometimes called the RC, is the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system at the country level.
In this occasional series, UN News is inviting RCs to blog on issues important to the United Nations and the country where they serve.

New Ebola outbreak declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The infected patient was a 31-year-old man who began experiencing symptoms on 5 April and after more than a week of care at home, sought treatment at a local health facility.

On 21 April, he was admitted to an Ebola treatment centre for intensive care but died later that day. Having recognized the symptoms, health workers immediately submitted samples to test for Ebola virus disease, WHO explained.

So far, just one case has been confirmed and investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are ongoing.

The fourteenth outbreak in the country

“Time is not on our side,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “The disease has had a two-week head start and we are now playing catch-up. The positive news is that health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more experience than anyone else in the world at controlling Ebola outbreaks quickly”, he added.

There have been fourteenth Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1976. The new outbreak is the sixth one since 2018 – the most frequent occurrence in the country’s Ebola history, according to the UN health agency.

Previous outbreaks in Equateur Province were in 2020 and 2018, with 130 and 54 recorded cases respectively.

Community vaccination set to kick-off

WHO informed that the deceased patient received a safe and dignified burial, which involves modifying traditional funeral ceremonies to minimize the risk of contagious fluids infecting attendees.

Health authorities are also identifying contacts to monitor their health and disinfected the health facility where the patient was treated.

Moreover, plans to kick off vaccination in the coming days are underway with stockpiles of the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine already available in the cities of Goma and Kinshasa.

“Vaccines will be sent to Mbandaka and administered through ‘ring vaccination strategy—where contacts and contacts of contacts are vaccinated to curb the spread of the virus and protect lives”, WHO highlighted.

“Many people in Mbandaka are already vaccinated against Ebola, which should help reduce the impact of the disease,” added Dr. Moeti. “All those who were vaccinated during the 2020 outbreak will be revaccinated.”

Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.

First Person: Torres Strait Islanders fight the loss of their ancestral home

The Torres Strait Islands, an autonomous part of Australia, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis, and extreme weather, including storms, rising sea levels and erosion, are a major threat to the indigenous people, who have inhabited the islands for some 70,000 years.

With the case ongoing, Mr. Molby and his fellow activists have been recognized as human rights leaders for their efforts to draw attention to the plight of their community.

“I come from Masig island, in the central part of the Torres Strait, which is between Papua New Guinea and the tip of Queensland.

There is something powerful about this teardrop-shaped island. There is an aura, which draws people to this place, which has protected us for thousands of years.

I am connected through this land to the birds, the sky, and the plants which surrounds us. I’m a part of the insects, the mammals, and the marine life, and they are a part of me.

We’ve been taught to live as one with nature, to protect and preserve it, in the way that it has been protecting and preserving us, our culture, and our tradition.

The right to protection against climate change

“We have the right to practice and carry on our traditions and culture, and the right to pass on what was passed on to us, by our parents, our grandparents, and our ancestors.

We have the right to pass that ancient knowledge to the next generation.

We’ve been through everything: the first cases of chicken pox, the first common flu – which practically wiped us out – and World War Two. But we survived.

Australia has an obligation to look after all Australians, and we have a right to remain on our Island.

Refugees in our own country

The Torres Strait Eight come from different islands but we all have the same passion to protect what belongs to us, for our future.

Otherwise, we won’t have a land to call home. We will be refugees in our own country. My children will have to be relocated, because the government will definitely remove us from homes.

So we said no. We’re not moving. What’s here is ours.

Loved ones washed away

Here on Masig, 30 to 50 metres out to sea, is where the beach was. There were villages all along the southeast coast.

You could hear laughter of children, while their mothers wove mats. The men would walk out on the reef to find food. It was a laid-back life, but a happy and safe life.

Then, we began to lose land to the sea, and the remains of our loved ones were washed away.

This affects us mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Marine life exodus

We used to have a lot of birds on this island.

Like the black and white pelican, the black and white booby bird, and others.

They don’t nest here anymore, and this is a sign that something is, you know, definitely is not right.

We used to have lagoons rich with seafood. At low tide, women could easily fish in their lagoons, whilst their children learned to swim with their big brothers and sisters, and grandmothers babysat the smallest kids.

Now. It’s a desert out there. The lagoons have gone, filled with sand, and empty of life.

Dangers in the deep

Making a living is getting harder. The major income on Masig is crayfish. Now, all the men have to go further out, and spend more on fuel.

It’s always dangerous to go out further, and the families of the husbands and sons out there fear for them.

There are a lot of dangerous things in the ocean, but the scariest thing is if the weather changes. You wonder if you will make it back home.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You can hear the full audio interview here.