CID Weekly: Which vaccine is best for developing countries

+ Come Heat or High Water: World Disaster Report 2020

Global efforts to tackle climate change are currently failing to protect the people who are most at risk. The World Disaster Report 2020: Come Heat or High Water shows that the countries most affected by climate-related disasters receive only a fraction of the funding that is available for climate change adaptation and thus struggle to protect people from the aggravating effects of climate change.

IFRC’s Secretary General Jagan Chapagain says “… our research demonstrates that the world is collectively failing to do this. There is a clear disconnection between where the climate risk is greatest and where climate adaptation funding goes."

 

+ Indoor pollution leading cause of premature death 

Indoor air pollution is one of the world’s largest environmental problems – particularly for the poorest in the world who often do not have access to clean fuels for cooking, finds Our World in Data.

Indoor air pollution is a risk factor for several of the world’s leading causes of death, including heart disease, pneumonia, stroke, diabetes and lung cancer.

According to the Global Burden of Disease study 1.6 million people died prematurely in 2017 as a result of indoor air pollution. To put this into context: this was four times the number of homicides – close to 400,000 in 2017.

In low-income countries 6% of all deaths are the result of indoor air pollution (compared to 3% globally).

+ 'Send cash not stuff' - campaign up and running

CID has launched its campaign with World Food Programme to promote the 'cash is best' message during the South Pacific cyclone season.

RNZ reported CID's Aaron Davy this week:

"The humanitarian director for New Zealand's Council for International Development, Aaron Davy, said that astonishing items were sent to Port Vila during Pam.

"There was the shipping container sent of just left sided shoes -  stuff like that, so quite often it is things people are trying to get rid of..." Mr Davy said.

The director of the WFP in the Pacific, Jo Pilgrim, said this unsolicited aid is typically not what is needed in the middle of a disaster, and she gave the example of what happened in Port Vila in Vanuatu at the height of Cyclone Pam in 2015, when unwanted food, clothes and household items were sent.

"..Half the food items were expired and had to be disposed of, but the total cost of storage, handling and container rental fees to the government of Vanuatu was 2.5 million dollars," she said.

A roadshow promoting the best way to support the Pacific will begin shortly. CID will also roll out radio and video ads, plus events.

+ Business calls on UK to keep 0.7% aid

Aid agencies, former Prime ministers and businesses are calling on the UK government to keep aid levels at 0.7% of GNI.

The UK Treasury is planning to slash billions from the overseas aid budget despite the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, praising the government’s 0.7% aid target on Monday as representing UK values in front of aides to Joe Biden. The Treasury wants to cut the aid budget from 0.7% of gross national income to 0.5% next year.

The UK has alternative options to shelving the 0.7% target. The main other option is to reclassify spending on security and defence as aid spending, but there are limits to how far the government can go to reinterpret the definition of aid spending without breaching internationally recognised guidelines set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

A letter has been drafted by the UK Development Studies Association urging the government to maintain the 0.0% commitment to aid spending. 

Key UK politicians on both sides of the House have condemned the proposed cuts, or the plan to measure defence spending as 'aid spend', including two former Prime Ministers, David Cameron and Gordon Brown. 

Even the International Chambers of Commerce and business leaders have said that cutting aid would “hamper gains made on social and economic development, which are prerequisites for businesses to trade".


 

+ COVID leading to starvation in our region

Bali is facing its biggest COVID crisis yet, as the number of people facing starvation increases. 

"International border closures in April delivered a terminal blow to Bali’s economy, obliterating the tourism industry and leaving a hole worth billions of dollars," writes Marta Pascual Juanola in Stuff this week.

Aid agencies are putting the unemployment figure at around 80%, with official statistics unreliable due to the amount of people not registered as either employed or unemployed. 

Reports of unemployment levels as high as 50% are also emerging from Fiji and other Pacific countries. 
 

+ Humanitarian crises looming in other reriongs 

Weekly attacks plus COVID have increased starvation in Burkino Faso's Sahal region.

"The number of people in need of emergency food aid in the country has tripled to more than 3 million people —11,000 of whom are facing starvation in the Sahel, according to the latest food security report by the U.N. and the government. This is the first time the country has faced famine-like conditions in more than a decade, writes Sam Mednick in Devex.

Meanwhile,  a “full-scale humanitarian crisis” is unfolding as thousands of refugees flee ongoing fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region each day to seek safety in eastern Sudan, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported.

+ Nominations of CID Humanitarian Network Chair

We are looking for a new Chair for the CID Humanitarian Network.

This is a prestigious position, well respected by MFAT and government, and we are reaching out to ask humanitarian network members if they have a stand out candidate who might be keen to undertake this role.
 
The role of the Chair is about bringing everyone together, and being an independent co-facilitator to help corral the network expertise to support collective decision-making, and liaise with MFAT. It is not a unilateral decision-making role. As such, we believe competency for the role of Humanitarian Network Chair does not necessitate seniority within your own humanitarian division. Rather, it is the interest and understanding in humanitarian programming, and the energy and personable skills that an individual will bring that will make the role a success!
 
We are excited that there are lot of new faces bringing their ‘fresh’ expertise into our community, and we would like to encourage creative thinking about who might Chair this network so that we strengthen up-and-coming leadership within the humanitarian network.

Please contact Aaron for any further information, and nomination form. Nominations must be in by COP Friday, 4th December.
 

+ Ice Bucket Challenge creator dies

Pat Quinn, co-creator of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and the social media phenomena that changed the way many charities raised money from the public, has died at 37 years old after a brave battle with the disease.

"Pat fought ALS with positivity and bravery and inspired all around him," the ALS Association said in a statement.

For an analysis of why the 'ice bucket' challenge was such a success have a look at the UK Fund-raising piece here. Key points:

• It had a strong human element 
• Video was an engaging medium
• It was a challenge!
• Celebrity endorsement

+ MFAT Virtual NGO Hui on 10 December

MFAT’s Pacific and Development Group are pleased to announce the annual NGO Hui – this year held virtually on Thursday 10 December, 1:00 - 4:30pm

 - MFAT Updates
 - Partnering for Impact
 - Localisation: Initial research findings
 
If you have not received an email with the agenda, please contact CID at office@cid.org.nz
 

+ Report on vaccine crisis 

Almost 20 million children globally have missed out on life-saving vaccines because of conflict, and exacerbated by COVID lockdowns.

A new report from Save the Children looks at the impact of conflict on children.