UN calls for action, not talk in global disaster relief

Record ID: 875873

  • Title: UN calls for action, not talk in global disaster relief
  • Date: 26th May 2017
  • Summary: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) UN FLAG WAVING SIGN AT THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION CONFERENCE IN CANCUN OFFICIALS ARRIVING FOR EVENT DELEGATES LISTENING ON DURING CONFERENCE SPEAKERS ON PROJECTION AT CONFERENCE GENERAL VIEW OF PANEL ON STAGE AT CONFERENCE AUDIENCE AT CONFERENCE SPEAKER AT CONFERENCE DELEGATES WEARING HEADPHONES LISTENING TO CONFERENCE UN DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL AMINA J. MOHAMMED ARRIVING FOR REUTERS INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL AMINA J. MOHAMMED, SAYING: "I think there has been a lot of action taken, certainly the political commitment, the momentum has been kept, we are hearing the right things. What we now need to do is to translate that into actions on the ground. We are seeing examples of where that is happening, the host country Mexico has shown us what they have been able to do. We are also seeing in some of the small island states that they are taking actions, but they're showing us where some of the challenges are. So, I think we are going in the right direction, we need to accelerate, we need to give more support and more capacity to countries to get to where they need to get to on the disaster risk reduction agenda." MEDIA AT INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL AMINA J. MOHAMMED, SAYING: "My expectations from this meeting would be first that we keep the momentum, that the Sendai Framework now has to move to implementation and that we see it as an integral part of the agenda 2030 framework, that we hear from people where some of those challenges are, and how better the UN can help to support (on the) country level to implement disaster risk reduction in their plans, in their investment, bringing together other stakeholders from business, from indigenous communities to work better at finding the solutions to the sustainability." MOHAMMED DURING INTERVIEW
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2017 02:16
  • Keywords: disaster relief U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction U.N. Deputy Secretary General Amina J Mohammed Cancun conference United Nations Mexico
  • Location: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
  • City: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016IC8K77
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The United Nations called on the international community to solidify its actions to better cope with disaster relief amidst global pressures from climate change, Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, told media in Cancun on Thursday (May 25).
    Speaking on the sidelines of the Global Platform For Disaster Risk Reduction Conference, she said substantial progress was being made in order to better protect people and cut losses from natural catastrophes but more resources needed to be pumped in as governments struggled with competing demands for already stretched budgets.
    Mohammed said the Cancun conference marked a move from commitment to action aimed at implementing the Sendai Framework goals, and a shift towards managing disaster risk rather than dealing with the aftermath of catastrophes.
    The seven Sendai targets also include curbing disruption to services such as health and education, and widening access to early warning systems and public disaster risk information.
    Urging countries to step up efforts to meet the Sendai goals, the UN has called on them to assess the risks to critical infrastructure by 2019, improve collection of disaster data, allocate budgets for disaster risk reduction, and strengthen building codes and regulatory frameworks.
    The United Nations has offered logistical support to reach these goals.
    According to statistics, ninety percent of deaths from disasters happen in low- and middle-income countries. The decision to hold the event in Mexico was symbolic. Flanked by both the Caribbean and the Pacific, Mexico is at the frontline in hurricane season. And with the country situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, its volcanoes are amongst the most active in the world.
    The three-day event in Mexico will hear the views of the world's most disaster exposed countries as well as propose practical early warning systems to avoid deaths.
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