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
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