EU agrees fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia, people trapped in Ukrainian cities are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, innovative finance for global weather and climate data. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
EU agrees fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia
The European Commission welcomes the agreement by the Council to adopt a fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia in response to its brutal aggression against Ukraine and its people. These sanctions will further contribute to ramping up economic pressure on the Kremlin and cripple its ability to finance its invasion of Ukraine. They have been coordinated with international partners, notably the United States.
Today’s agreement builds on the wide-ranging and unprecedented packages of measures the EU has been taking in response to Russia’s acts of aggression against Ukraine’s territorial integrity and mounting atrocities against Ukrainian civilians and cities. As guardian of the EU Treaties, the European Commission is in charge of monitoring the enforcement of EU sanctions across the Union. The EU stands united in its solidarity with Ukraine and will continue to support Ukraine and its people together with its international partners, including through additional political, financial, and humanitarian support.
People trapped in Ukrainian cities are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance
The IRC is extremely concerned about the millions of residents from Ukrainian cities affected by conflict including Mariupol, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Sumy who are now either displaced or living through the horrors of urban conflict. These people require urgent humanitarian assistance and are exposed to safety and security risks.
Bob Kitchen, Vice President of Emergencies at the IRC said, “We’ve seen the humanitarian impact of not being able to reach people in besieged areas before and we must not allow the same to happen once again in Ukraine. During the Syria crisis, in places such as Eastern Ghouta, Yarmuk, Karaya, Foah, and other hard-to-reach places, as many as 3.4 million people were without access to essential services and basic provisions due to continuing hostilities and denial of access. Whilst over 3 million refugees have already fled Ukraine, millions more remain inside the country, in need of urgent assistance. As in any conflict, civilians continue to bear the brunt both within Ukraine as well as those that have fled from the country. The humanitarian impact of this conflict is soaring as each day passes. 3 million people have fled Ukraine in the last 2 weeks, making this the fastest and largest displacement crisis this century. Our teams on the ground in Poland are reporting that people are crossing the border and arriving severely traumatized and freezing. We are extremely concerned about the safety and security risks for the many women and children that are arriving alone or becoming displaced within Ukraine. As urban areas increasingly fall under siege, the IRC is doubly fearful of witnessing the same cruel tactics inflicted on the populations of Aleppo and Idlib across Ukraine.”
Through partners in Poland IRC is providing information services through an existing hotline, offering legal counseling and psychological support, and will facilitate access to services (through social workers, interpreters, and cultural assistants) to displaced people. Through partners in Ukraine IRC is also providing evacuation services and essential items to those that have become displaced according to individual needs. This could include blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothes, or cash assistance.
Innovative finance for global weather and climate data
The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) has committed 10 million Euros to the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), a groundbreaking financing mechanism designed to ramp up the global understanding of climate change by significantly increasing the availability of essential weather and climate data.
The NDF Managing Director, Ms. Karin Isaksson, welcomed the creation of SOFF and emphasized that “Having accurate metrics is important for early warning systems to work efficiently. They sharpen decisions both for public and private investors, and most importantly save lives and increase the resilience of the most vulnerable populations”
Everyone will benefit from filling these critical data gaps. According to a 2021 study from the World Bank, WMO, and the UK Met Office, investments in weather and climate observations are essential to fully realize the US$ 162 billion of estimated minimum annual socio-economic benefits of weather and climate prediction.
Achim Steiner, UN Development Programme Administrator stressed that “the U.N. system is playing a critical role in helping vulnerable communities across the world to get ahead of the curve, to adapt to the effects of climate change and build much-needed resilience. UNDP is therefore proud of having established with WMO and UNEP the Systematic Observations Financing Facility.”
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Is the EU ready for the Ukrainian refugees? | Experts’ Opinions
The Russian attack on Ukraine and the war that was then unleashed has dominated the news for the last two weeks. As information consumers, we are permanently reminded about the emotions felt by those who wake up to the sounds of explosions and air-raid sirens – ordinary Ukriainians from major cities and smaller, remote villages. The constant threat of being hit by a shell or waking up among the ruins of one’s home may seem remote to us but are, unfortunately, a daily occurance for Ukrainians, of whom more than a million have fled the war zone in under 10 days.
Explore employment opportunities in audit, investigation and evaluation with the UN’s oversight body | Invitation to a webinar
Preventing and addressing possible misconduct within the main intergovernmental organization in the world – the United Nations – is a task that carries enormous responsibility. With thousands of employees and contractors within its 15 agencies, multiple programs, and subsidiaries across all continents (including Antarctica), this difficult job is undertaken by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). Joining this unit is a unique employment opportunity for any individual.
What is cyberbullying and how does it affect people?
Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that takes place via the use of digital technologies. It can happen online (social media or online gaming), via texts, images, and applications where users can engage in or exchange content. Cyberbullying is defined as spreading negative, humiliating, or misleading content about another person.
Here’s what else has happened
UNDP: In the event of continuing, protracted war in Ukraine, 18 years of socio-economic achievements could be lost, with almost one-third of the population living below the poverty line and a further 62% at high risk of falling into poverty within the next twelve months, according to an early projection released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
IOM: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is worried about the risk of trafficking in persons as well as sexual exploitation and abuse in Ukraine and the region as the number of vulnerable people fleeing the war continues to rise.
UN: As humanitarian needs escalate rapidly in Ukraine, the United Nations humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, today allocated US$40 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to ramp up aid agencies’ efforts to reach the most vulnerable people.
Reports
The energy crisis makes supporting clean energy start-ups more important than ever
A new IEA report released, on How Governments Support Clean Energy Start-Ups, provides a timely review of the different approaches taken in countries around the world as they seek to become home to the next Tesla, BYD, or Vestas. Money is now pouring into small companies with big ideas for improving our energy systems and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Innovators including Addionics, Evage, H2Pro, Kula Bio, and PassiveLogic have raised more than USD 25 million each since the start of 2022. New technologies are coming from a wide range of different research efforts and countries. Energy technologies are becoming more digital, electronic, consumer-focused, and modular. Some of the world’s brightest and most creative minds are engaged in building the cornerstones of tomorrow’s clean energy system.
New report shows how artificial intelligence affects women’s working lives
A report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), OECD, and UNESCO studies the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) systems on women’s work opportunities. The study reveals that AI systems can have a gendered effect on labor, care, and domestic employment. Moreover, AI can promote stereotypes about women that impact opportunities to reskill and upskill as well as pathways to STEM-related careers. The report warns that governments, the private sector, and other actors must make efforts to ensure women are not left behind in the digital economy and analyzes measures to make it possible. It also encourages organizations, citizens, policymakers, and academics to face this challenge of the future of work.
Ukraine war’s impact on trade and development
A UNCTAD rapid assessment of the war in Ukraine’s impact on trade and development confirms a rapidly worsening outlook for the world economy, underpinned by rising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices. The report also shows heightened financial volatility, sustainable development divestment, complex global supply chain reconfigurations, and mounting trade costs.
Events
Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Financing for Development, Fifth session
📅 21 – 23 March 2022
Online/Geneva, Switzerland
There is, by now, little doubt that the economic fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is set to further widen pre-pandemic financing gaps to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
European Humanitarian Forum
📅 21- 23 March 2022
The European Humanitarian Forum will take place in Brussels from 21 to 23 March 2022, in a hybrid format, with most of the events allowing for remote participation and engagement. It is organized by the European Commission and France in the framework of its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
9th World Water Forum
📅21 – 26 March 2022
Sub-Saharan Africa
Created in 1996, the World Water Council is the founder and co-organizer of the World Water Forum and catalyzes collective action during and in between each Forum.
Gendering the green city in an era of climate breakdown
📅 22 March 2022
In this era, delivering equitable futures will depend on building green, resilient and inclusive cities for all. Yet, what thriving zero-carbon cities look like in low- and middle-income regions is often neglected. From the Global South, this event will envision what urban interventions can expand economic, political, and social inclusion, particularly for women, in a 2°C+ world.
Asia-Pacific Rural Development and Food Security Forum 2022 | Virtual
📅22 – 24 March 2022
Virtual
The overall food security situation remains a major concern in Asia and the Pacific, home to 60% of the world’s population. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating pre-existing challenges to food security such as climate change impacts, disaster risks, shrinking natural resources and degrading environments, changing demographics and labor profiles, and infrastructure deficits, among others. These challenges, along with evolving impacts of COVID-19, underscore the need for a rethinking of actions to recover, rebuild and strengthen the resilience of food systems. These can include innovative, nature-based, and integrated solutions not only to transform and build food system resilience but also to achieve a climate-smart and green rural recovery.
Doing Business with Belgian Development Agency (Enabel): Procurement Framework and Best Practices | Webinar
📅 24 March 2022 🕟 4 PM (Brussels)/ 10 AM (Washington DC)
Virtual
DevelopmentAid, in collaboration with Enabel, invites all actors to join a thematic webinar on 24 March 2022 to learn more about the agency’s operations and procurement framework and to explore the best practices for successful collaboration.
Key takeaways:
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- Discover Enabel’s profile, its operations, and vision;
- Gain valuable insights into Enabel’s procurement framework;
- Learn how to prepare for upcoming bids.
Foreword by:
Inge Janssens, Coordinator Public Procurement at Enabel
Speaker:
Lucas Van Geel, Procurement Partner at Enabel
Host:
Ion Ilasco, External Relations and Events at DevelopmentAid
