This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.
Guterres calls for ‘quantum’ leap in resources and will for development and climate solutions
The world “absolutely” needs to come together to boost development in poorer nations and halt runaway climate change, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday.
Speaking in Beijing at the opening of a forum on China’s Belt and Road initiative – a massive international trade and economic development plan – the UN chief said that it could contribute to a more equitable and prosperous world.
Addressing Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr. Guterres welcomed China’s leadership on climate action.
It was “helping to show the way” the UN chief maintained, noting the $125 billion investment in renewable energy made by the Government in 2017.
He called for a “quantum leap” in mobilizing resources for the developing world to implement the Sustainable Development Goals; as well as the capacity to stop “runaway” climate change.
“We have a unique opportunity to build a new generation of climate resilient and people-centred cities and transit systems, and energy grids that prioritize low emissions and sustainability. But that will require an urgent transformation in how we build our societies, power our cities and invest in our economies.”
New Mozambique storm rips off roofs, brings lashing rain as aid response kicks in
Tropical Cyclone Kenneth swept into northern Mozambique on Thursday evening, bringing heavy rain and ferocious winds, sparking concerns of a new humanitarian emergency just weeks after Cyclone Idai hit.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the latest storm reached Mozambique after lashing the Comoros islands, where it claimed “at least” three lives.
Here’s spokesperson Clare Nullis:
“Tropical Cyclone Kenneth made landfall in northern Mozambique near the border with Tanzania in an area where no storm since the satellite-era has ever been observed. So, people in that area have never experienced a tropical cyclone, and they’ve certainly never experienced a tropical cyclone of that intensity.”
Although Cyclone Kenneth has now been downgraded to a tropical depression by WMO, some 700,000 people are believed to remain at risk, with up to 600 millimetres of rain expected in the next 10 days; that’s twice as much as the port city of Beira received during Cyclone Idai in March.
Echoing the gravity of the situation – and the critical lack of funding to help those affected - Jens Laerke from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the storm had “ripped off roofs” of homes and caused flooding.
In the affected province of Cabo Delgado, the UN is working with the Government and other humanitarian organizations on an immediate response plan.
Public buildings have been made available where flood victims can shelter and the World Food Programme (WFP) said that it has more than 1,500 tonnes of food either in place or readily available.
Mali insecurity leaves one in three Mopti schools closed
And finally, to Mali in Africa’s Sahel, where one in three schools in the central Mopti region have been forced to close because of worsening violence that’s affected more than 157,000 children.
The warning, from UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, follows the killing of more than 130 people from a village in Bankass a month ago that included 46 youngsters.
Spokesperson Christophe Boulierac told journalists that at least 525 schools are closed in Mopti, out of 866 schools closed nationally:
“UNICEF is working closely with the education cluster and the Ministry of Education in order to provide uninterrupted learning for affected children through temporary mechanisms such as informal community learning centres. We are also rolling out innovations such as the training of teachers through tablets.”
Outside the classroom, Mr. Boulierac said that rising prices and the threat of food insecurity linked to a breakdown in State control and the rise in violent extremists have also put additional pressure on families.
Daniel Johnson, UN News.
