The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Subject:
Launch of the World Disasters Report 2020: Come Heat or High Water
Every year, we get more evidence about the devastating impacts of climate change. In 2019, 97.6 million people were affected by 308 so-called ‘natural’ disasters, more than three quarters of which were climate or weather-related. Nearly 25,000 people were killed as a result.
Our first responsibility in the fight against climate change is to the communities that are most exposed and vulnerable to climate risks. But we are collectively failing to do this.
The World Disasters Report 2020 reveals that the countries most affected by climate-related disasters receive only a fraction of the funding available for climate adaptation, and thus struggle to protect communities at greatest risk. The report argues that the climate crisis cannot wait for the COVID-19 pandemic to be brought under control, and that the COVID-19 stimulus packages being developed around the world offer a unique opportunity to ‘build back better’.
Speakers:
- Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary-General
- Kirsten Hagon, Senior Analyst, Humanitarian Policy at IFRC and editor of the report
Similar Stories
2
2
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
Powerful El Niño heightens extreme-weather risks through 2027, as countries brace for impact - WMO
Fuelled by extraordinarily warm waters across the tropical Pacific Ocean, the El Niño climate pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months. Forecasters are almost certain that it will persist through February next year, with unusually warm conditions expected across the globe.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , UN WOMEN , WFP , WHO , WMO , OCHA
UN WOMEN/IFRC: Update on the impact of the floods in Nepal, WFP: Food assistance in the West Bank, WHO: Gaza’s rehabilitation needs and continued spread of diseases
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , ITU , OCHA , OHCHR , UNCTAD , UNDRR , UNHCR , UNICEF , WHO , WMO
UNDRR/OCHA/IFRC/UNICEF/WHO: Nepal updates; IFRC/WMO: El Niño Update; WHO: Health situation in Ukraine; UNHCR: 65 years after landmark Convention; OHCHR: Human Rights situation in Haiti;
ITU: Upcoming Greening Digital Companies 2026 report; UNCTAD: World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha 25-27 October
2
1
2
Press Conferences | UNIDIR
Launch of the 2026 Arms Trade Treaty Monitor report
1
1
1
Press Conferences | ICRC , OHCHR , UN , UNICEF
UN/ICRC: Renewed Call from UN Secretary-General and ICRC President to Adopt Rules on Autonomous Weapon Systems; OHCHR: Human rights situation in Myanmar new report; UNICEF: Worsening child nutrition crisis in Afghanistan
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR , Treaty Bodies
UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) publishes findings on Finland, Honduras, India and Kuwait
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , WMO , UNICEF
OCHA: 100-day mark of the Ebola outbreak declaration, progress and challenges in the
response; UNICEF: Devastating impact of aid cuts on children in Somalia;
WHO: Ebola update; WMO: El Niño update
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO , UNHCR
OCHA: World Humanitarian Day - legal framework, impunity and commemoration of aid workers killed in line of duty, drone use in attacks on aid workers; WHO - Healthcare in armed conflict, Bundibugyo virus update from Bunia, DRC - scaling up the Ebola response in DRC, the fastest growing outbreak in history, DRC; UNCHR: Lebanon update
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WHO , UNHCR , WFP , UNFPA , UNODA
WHO: update on Attacks on Health Care; UNFPA: Maternal health challenges in Darfur;
WFP/ UNHCR: Critical funding shortfalls threaten life-saving food, nutrition, and other assistance for refugees in South Sudan
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WMO , OCHA , WHO
WMO: Heatwaves, drought, fires and extreme weather; OCHA: Colombia earthquake
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | HRC
Myanmar's military has carried out a sustained campaign of deliberate attacks on civilians – including airstrikes on homes, schools and camps for displaced people, alongside arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence – Human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WHO
WHO updates on Ebola; WMO on drought in Europe