MYANMAR FLOODS: CROPS DESTROYED, LIVESTOCK LOST
U Kyaw Thein, 61, lives a simple life in the quiet Bauk Ywar village, located in Mrauk-U Township, Rakhine State. He has engaged in subsistence farming to support his family, planting rice in the wet season, and alternating it with maize during the dry season.
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More than 120 humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies issued a joint appeal today urging the world to raise their voices and call for an end to the Syria crisis and to the suffering endured by millions of civilians. The appeal also outlines a series of immediate, practical steps that can improve humanitarian access and the delivery of aid to those in need inside Syria. You are invited to “sign” the appeal simply by liking, sharing, and retweeting it.
Three years ago, the leaders of UN humanitarian agencies issued an urgent appeal to those who could end the conflict in Syria. They called for every effort to save the Syrian people. “Enough”, they said, of the suffering and bloodshed.
That was three years ago.
Now, the war is approaching its sixth brutal year. The bloodshed continues. The suffering deepens.
So today, we — leaders of humanitarian organisations and UN agencies — appeal not only to governments but to each of you — citizens around the world — to add your voices in urging an end to the carnage. To urge that all parties reach agreement on a ceasefire and a path to peace.
More than ever before, the world needs to hear a collective public voice calling for an end to this outrage. Because this conflict and its consequences touch us all.
It touches those in Syria who have lost loved ones and livelihoods, who have been uprooted from their homes, or who live in desperation under siege. Today, some 13.5 million people inside Syria need humanitarian assistance. That is not simply a statistic. These are 13.5 million individual human beings whose lives and futures are in jeopardy.
It touches the families who, with few options for a better future, set out on perilous journeys to foreign lands in search of refuge. The war has seen 4.6 million people flee to neighbouring countries and beyond.
It touches a generation of children and young people who — deprived of education and traumatized by the horrors they have experienced — increasingly see their future shaped only by violence.
It touches those far beyond Syria who have seen the violent repercussions of the crisis reach the streets, offices and restaurants closer to their homes.
And it touches all those around the world whose economic wellbeing is affected, in ways visible and invisible, by the conflict.
Those with the ability to stop the suffering can — and therefore should — take action now. Until there is a diplomatic solution to the fighting, such action should include:
– Unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarian organizations to bring immediate relief to all those in need inside Syria
– Humanitarian pauses and unconditional, monitored ceasefires to allow food and other urgent assistance to be delivered to civilians, vaccinations and other health campaigns, and for children to return to school
– A cessation of attacks on civilian infrastructure — so that schools and hospitals and water supplies are kept safe
– Freedom of movement for all civilians and the immediate lifting of all sieges by all parties
These are practical actions. There is no practical reason they could not be implemented if there is the will to do so.
In the name of our shared humanity… for the sake of the millions of innocents who have already suffered so much… and for the millions more whose lives and futures hang in the balance, we call for action now.
Now.
21 January 2016
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Chairperson, BRAC, Bangladesh
Zairulshahfuddin bin Zainal Abidin, Country Director, Islamic Relief Malaysia
Ryoko Akamatsu, Chairperson, Japan Committee for UNICEF
Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO, Plan International
Richard Allen, CEO, Mentor Initiative
Dr. Haytham Alhamwi, Director, Rethink Rebuild
Steen M. Andersen, Executive Director, Danish Committee for UNICEF
Barry Andrews, CEO, GOAL Ireland
Nancy A. Aossey, President and CEO, International Medical Corp
Bernt G. Apeland, Executive Director, Norwegian Committee for UNICEF
Dr. Mohamed Ashmawey, CEO, Islamic Relief Worldwide
Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General, CEO, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Lina Sergie Attar, co-founder and CEO, Karam Foundation
Carmelo Angulo Barturen, President, Spanish Committee for UNICEF
Ileana Bello, Executive Director, Defence for Children International
Gudrun Berger, Executive Director, Austrian Committee for UNICEF
Tomaž Bergoč, Executive Director, Slovenian Foundation for UNICEF
David Bull, Executive Director, United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF
Marie-Pierre Caley, CEO, ACTED
Adriano Campolina, Chief Executive, Actionaid
CARE Netherlands
Tineke Ceelen, Director, Stichting Vluchteling, Netherlands
Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization
Jonny Cline, Executive Director, The Israeli Fund for UNICEF
Sarah Costa, Executive Director, Women’s Refugee Commission
Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, World Food Programme
Emese Danks, Executive Director, UNICEF Hungarian Committee Foundation
Maryanne Diamond, Chair, International Disability Alliance
Hisham Dirani, CEO, BINAA Organization for Development
Edukans, Netherlands
Jan Egeland, Secretary-General, Norwegian Refugee Council
Patricia Erb, President and CEO, Save the Children Canada
Sanem Bilgin Erkurt, Executive Director, Turkish National Committee for UNICEF
Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO, Heifer International
Amy Fong, Chief Executive, Save the Children Hong Kong
Justin Forsyth, CEO, Save the Children UK
Michel Gabaudan, President, Refugees International
Meg Gardinier, Secretary General, ChildFund Alliance
Global Call to Action against Poverty
Mark Goldring, Chief Executive, Oxfam Great Britain
Pavla Gomba, Executive Director, Czech Committee for UNICEF
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Madalena Grilo, Executive Director, Portuguese Committee for UNICEF
Noreen Gumbo, Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Trócaire
Handicap International, Belgium
Abdullah Hanoun, CEO, Syrian Community of the South West UK
Heather Hayden, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children New Zealand
Dr. Dirk Hegmanns, Regional Director Turkey/Syria/Iraq, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe
Anne-Marie Helland, General Secretary, Norwegian Church Aid
Anne Hery, Director for Advocacy and Institutional Relations, Handicap International
International Organization for Migration, Netherlands
W. Douglas Jackson, President and CEO, PROJECT C.U.R.E.
Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary General, Care International
Kevin Jenkins, President and CEO, World Vision International
Bergsteinn Jónsson, Executive Director, Icelandic National Committee for UNICEF
Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Director, DEI-Belgique
Thomas G. Kemper, General Secretary, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church
Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
Kerk in Actie, Netherlands
Marja-Riitta Ketola, Executive Director, Finnish Committee for UNICEF
Peter Klansoe, Regional Director, Danish Refugee Council, Middle East North Africa region
Pim Kraan, Director, Save the Children Netherlands
Marek Krupiński, Executive Director, Polish National Committee for UNICEF
Dr. Hans Kuenzle, Chair, Swiss Committee for UNICEF
Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF
Jane Lau, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF
Lavinia Limón, President and CEO, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Jonas Keiding Lindholm, CEO Save the Children Denmark
Rosa G. Lizarde, Global Director, Feminist Task Force
Olivier Longue, CEO, Accion Contra el Hambre
John Lyon, President, World Hope International
Sébastien Lyon, Executive Director, French Committee for UNICEF
Dominic MacSorley, Chief Executive Officer, Concern Worldwide
Dirk Van Maele, Director, Plan België
Cécil Van Maelsaeke, Director, Tearfund, Belgium
Vivien Maidaborn, Executive Director, The New Zealand National Committee for UNICEF
Blanca Palau Mallol, President, Andorran Committee for UNICEF
Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service
Carolyn Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children USA
David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee
Mr. Juraj Mišura, President, Slovak Committee for UNICEF
James Mitchum, Chief Executive Officer, Heart to Heart International
David Morley, President and CEO, Canadian UNICEF Committee
John Nduna, General Secretary, ACT Alliance
Stephen O’Brien, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund
Ignacio Packer, Secretary-General, Terre des Hommes International Federation
People in Need
Dato Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus, President, Mercy Malaysia
Plan, Norway
Peter Power, Executive Director, UNICEF Ireland
Sarina Prabasi, Chief Executive Officer, WaterAid America
Chris Proulx, President and CEO, LINGOS, United States
Dr. Jihad Qaddour, President, Syria Relief and Development
Red Cross, Netherlands
Curtis N. Rhodes Jr., International Director, Questscope
Michel Roy, Secretary General, Caritas International
Paolo Rozera, Executive Director, Italian Committee for UNICEF
Dr. Tessie San Martin, President and CEO, Plan International USA
Christian Schneider, Executive Director, German Committee for UNICEF
Rev. Thomas H. Smolich, S.J. International Director, Jesuit Refugee Service
Janti Soeripto, Interim CEO, Save the Children, International
SOS Kinderdorpen, Netherlands
Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO, United States Fund for UNICEF
Marie Soueid, Policy Counsel, Center for Victims of Torture
John Stewart, President, Australian Committee for UNICEF Limited
Odd Swarting, Chair, Swedish Committee for UNICEF
William L. Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration
Florence Syevuo, Global Call to Action against Poverty, Kenya
Daigo Takagi, Association for Aid and Relief, Japan
Tearfund, UK
Terre des Hommes International Federation
Constantine M. Triantafilou, Executive Director and CEO, International Orthodox Christian Charities
Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary, World Council of Churches
Monique van ‘t Hek, Director, Plan Nederland
Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General, Religions for Peace
Pierre Verbeeren, Director, Medecins du Monde, Belgium
Damien Vincent, Executive Director, Belgium Committee for UNICEF
Sandra Visscher, Executive Director, Luxembourg Committee for UNICEF
Vrouwen tegen Uitzetting, Netherlands
Tove Wang, CEO, Save the Children Norway
David A. Weiss, President and CEO, Global Communities
Kathrin Wieland, CEO, Save the Children Germany
Jan Bouke Wijbrandi, Executive Director, Dutch Committee for UNICEF
Nancy E. Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Relief International
Carolyn Woo, President and CEO, Catholic Relief Services
Daniel Wordsworth, President and CEO, American Refugee Committee
Samuel A. Worthington, CEO, InterAction
Leila Zerrougui, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
Mohammad Zia-ur-Rehman, Chief Executive, AwazCDS and Pakistan Development Alliance
ACT Alliance today joined top international charities, human rights campaigners, women’s rights groups, green groups, civil society organisations and trade unions in a statement decrying the level in inequality in the world today. The organisations committed themselves to fight the growing crisis of inequality together. The statement was launched as some of the world’s richest and most powerful gather in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.
“Fighting inequality is one of the most urgent priority for ACT Alliance, and it should very well be the priority of all governments, civil society and all sectors of society, “ says John Nduna, ACT General Secretary.
Read the press release here: Inequality Alliance Press release
The current food insecurity crisis in Ethiopia appears to be a result of a combination of factors, including the pre-El Niño failure of the spring rains and the El Niño induced late onset, erratic and early cessation of the main summer rains.
Click on the image to see the infographic
PRESS RELEASE
International humanitarian and development network ACT Alliance has welcomed the final global climate agreement adopted today in Paris after years of negotiations among all countries.
“The Paris agreement has delivered the universal Paris Accord and a support package,” said ACT Alliance global climate ambassador Archbishop Thabo Makgabo, from South Africa. “Hundreds of cities, regions, companies and churches have proven their strong commitment to phase out fossil energies by mid-century. This is a milestone in the human story to tackle climate change and gives us hope for a climate friendly, resilient and more equitable future.”
“The universal Paris agreement includes for the first time the commitment of all states to keep global warming well below 2 degrees,” he continued. “With the long term mitigation goal, a mechanism to dynamically scale up each country’s action over time, common transparency rules and a support package for the vulnerable, all necessary instruments are on board to move forward.”
“Now we call on all national governments to close the remaining loopholes, which were included in the agreement due to countries not willing to take on their responsibility,” said Mattias Söderberg, head of the ACT alliance delegation at the negotiations in Paris. “More and faster climate action is needed to adequately address the core concerns of poor and vulnerable people. The implementation of the Paris Accord must be accelerated by national action and deepened international cooperation.”
Archbishop Thabo Makgabo concluded: “We are all part of Creation, and while we are thankful for this, we also need to acknowledge our responsibility to take care of the earth. This responsibility was given to us by God, and thus we, as faith groups around the world need to lead the way.”
The joint faith-based delegations of ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches, included more than 100 people during the two week long climate summit.
The President of France Francois Hollande today praised the efforts of campaigners and faith leaders who personally delivered to him a collection of petitions containing over 1.8 million signatures calling for climate justice.
François Hollande received the international petitions at a special reception held at the Presidential Palace in Paris. They were presented by a delegation that included the Philippines’ leading climate activist Yeb Saño, Bishop of Salisbury (UK) the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam, Auxiliary Bishop of Brasília the Most Rev Leonardo Steiner and Dr Ghaleb Bencheikh, President of Religions for Peace – France,
The 20 guests at the event represented the four faith-based networks who led the petition campaign – ACT Alliance, OurVoices, Religions for Peace and the Global Catholic Climate Movement – as well as other organisations that helped to gather the 1,833,973 signatures worldwide.
At the ceremony, François Hollande thanked the group, saying he was pleased to receive them “just a few hours before the end of the climate conference”. “We must protect the planet… Through the petitions, through the walks and pilgrimages, you have committed to defend life,” he said.
The President then spoke of the importance of bringing together religious leaders of all faiths to protect the world’s “common heritage”. He said: “It is necessary that all citizens engage and mobilise, like you have done.
“This is the least we should hope for… Your example has paved the way, through all the walks and pilgrimages, together with these petitions. I hope they will have as much influence as possible while we’re still negotiating the agreement.”
Mr Hollande reminded the inter-faith group that that the primary role of the conference negotiators was to “deal with the future of the planet.” He told them: “It is a responsibility that we can’t walk away from… Your message, your petitions, must be heard, and this voice you’re bringing, must be listened to.”
Climate pilgrims from across the world were represented by Yeb Saño, leader of the People’s Pilgrimage and an ambassador for OurVoices. He told the President: “As a way to express faith communities’ deep sense of urgency regarding the climate crisis, we embarked on pilgrimages from all over the world … spreading hope for the future of humanity and hope for COP21, carrying the message of climate justice and our solidarity as one human family.
“Altogether we journeyed the distance of close to 300,000 kilometres, including a group that I personally joined from the Vatican to Paris. We also cycled over 7,000km from Mozambique to Kenya, pushing the climate justice flag high and collecting thousands of signatures on the way… As pilgrims we walked and cycled together out of sense of justice, love, faith and hope that we can build a better future together. We are honoured to be walking with you on this journey.”
On behalf of ACT Alliance, the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam explained why the groups had united to call for a fair and ambitious deal. He remarked: “People of all faiths urge all partiers to agree on a Paris deal applicable to all. Following the acts of terrorism in this city we want the world to act together, in care of our common home.
“For it to be ambitious, the agreement must include a long-term goal drastically cutting the world’s carbon footprint and making the transition to clean energy. The island states in particular need a limit of 1.5 Celsius. It must also have a tool to review and increase countries’ contributions, to review and increase ambitions as gaps arise.
“When they go home, governments must actually start to deliver a low-carbon future. On this, Human Rights Day, a fair deal must provide robust transparency rules, make a firm commitment to deliver $100bn climate finance to the poor, with the anchoring of the Warsaw International Mechanism on loss and damage in the Paris agreement.”
Representing the Global Catholic Climate Movement the Most Rev Leonardo Steiner, Secretary General of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, voiced his solidarity in the wake of the Paris attacks and highlighted the success of the petition campaign. “As faith representatives we are very happy to be here to bring to you our firm petition for climate justice,” he said.
“Through the campaigns of the organisations, we collected more than 1.8 signatures of believers around the world. We are extremely concerned by the common crisis, but we know that everything is not lost… thank you very much for listening to our plea for climate justice.”
Dr Ghaleb Bencheikh, President of Religions for Peace – France, spoke about the need to work for an end to conflict, in order to “build a future with a sound environment for mankind”. He said: “Religious tradition brings hope within misery. Now we are facing a climate challenge, we are acting for peace and for the future of mankind.”
He then told the President: “We admire you for what you are doing because, under your auspices, we hope that this negotiation will bring about a future for coming generations.”
Also present at the Paris ceremony were representatives from the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, We Have Faith, the Lutheran World Federation, and the ‘Bhumi Project’ at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, as well as climate pilgrims from Britain, Scandinavia and Germany.
The petitions were originally presented to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and the French President’s Special Envoy for the Protection of the Planet, Nicolas Hulot, on November 28 in Saint-Denis, northern Paris. Delivering the opening remarks today, Mr Hulot told the delegation: “The President did not hesitate at all to receive you, as you bring the fruits of your pilgrimages”.
END
Notes to Editors:
High-res images are available from www.oikoumene.org/cop21photos. (Credit: Sean Hawkey/WCC)
For more information please contact Tomilola Ajayi: Tajayi@christian-aid.org
About the four networks who organised the petitions:
Religions for Peace, est. 1970, is the world’s largest multi-religious coalition that works to advance peace.
ACT Alliance is a coalition of 137 churches and affiliated organisations: it runs the ACT Now For Climate Justice campaign.
OurVoices is run under the auspices of The Conservation Foundation in the UK and GreenFaith in the USA.
Global Catholic Climate Movement represents thousands of Catholics responding to the Papal encyclical.
PRESS RELEASE
ACT Alliance said today that while it was happy to note that the text of the UNFCCC climate negotiations in Paris has managed to progress to the Ministers’ stage of the process, the text is still weak and contains many of the crucial unresolved issues.
Mattias Söderberg, head of the ACT Alliance delegation at the COP21 in Paris, observed: “There are still big boulders on the road to an ideal Paris agreement and Ministers have an important task in front of them, to clear this road. This is the time for bold leadership and increased ambition by the Ministers and all countries, and not a time to be timid and hide behind differentiation or other parties.”
ACT Alliance noted its particular concern for five key areas, where it said progress must be achieved before an agreement can be adopted.
Söderberg said: “We see five boulders on the road. Firstly, countries must agree on how to share both burdens and opportunities. The old division between developed and developing countries is no longer applicable, and we need a fair and equitable differentiation of the future engagement. Secondly, we already know that the ambition of the Paris agreement will be too low, and there is need for a strong ratcheting up mechanism, including early review to increase ambition. Thirdly, we need global goals, guiding governments and investors, to a low carbon and resilient transformation of future development. Fourthly, parties need to agree on climate finance, to ensure that there are adequate means of implementation to support developing countries in their efforts to engage in both mitigation and resilience. And finally, the Paris agreement should not leave anyone behind. It must acknowledge the situations where adaptation is no longer possible, and Loss and Damage must thus be a central element of the text.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
PRESS RELEASE
International humanitarian and development network ACT Alliance welcomed the decision to label Thursday 3 December as “Future Generations Day” at the UN climate talks, stating that decisions in Paris will be of a huge importance for children and youth for generations to come.
“Negotiations here in Paris refer to 2050,” said Signe Cecilie Mathiassen, a youth delegate from the ACT Alliance. “However, how many of the delegates will actually see the results themselves in 2050? They should deliver an agreement they can be proud to hand over to their children and grandchildren.”
While highlighting the need to consider future generations, the negotiations to reach an agreement are continuing, with some progress being made in talks about loss and damage.
“On a day where we are asked to consider youth and future generations, I am happy to note that there is some progress in the negotiations, particularly on the issue of Loss and Damage,” said Mattias Söderberg, head of the ACT Alliance delegation at the Paris talks. “Developed and developing countries have very different views on the need to address situations where it is no longer possible to adapt to the effects of climate change. This is unfortunate as this represents the exact worst-case scenario for the poorest and most vulnerable people. With no possibility to adapt, they are forced to migrate, or even to become refugees.”
“We are happy to note how parties now start to look for common ground and that developed countries, including the US, start to acknowledge the need to address loss and damage,” he continued. “The COP21 agreement must answer to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people, and we cannot leave Paris with an agreement where loss and damage is not a solid part of the text.”
ENDS
For more information contact Thomas Hirsch on +4917171 5217719 email: t.hirsch@climate-development-advice.de
Over 20 faith leaders, with youth, political and civil society representatives sat down for a unique lunch at COP21 at a table with knives and forks but no food, in a public demonstration of their hunger for climate justice. The stunt was part of the Fast for the Climate initiatives on December 1st in Paris.
Yeb Saño, former Philippines’ chief climate negotiator, the Most Rev. Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town, and Imam Ibrahim Saidy of Norway were among the ‘diners’ taking part in the Fast For The Climate at the UN climate summit in Paris.
The event was a chance for the campaigners to tell gathered journalists and COP delegates why they had chosen to abstain from food: to show solidarity with communities worst affected by global warming and make a compelling call for climate justice.
Other faith leaders at the empty lunch table included Archbishop Antje Jackelén, Primate of the Church of Sweden, a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Bishop of Salisbury the Rt. Rev Nick Holtam, and the Rev. Dr Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Together with 10,000 people worldwide, they were part of the global initiative, which takes place on the first of every month. Besides the demonstration, the Fast for the Climate day at COP21 also included an official side event at the climate conference and the celebration of the breaking of the fasting.
Commenting on the inter-faith initiative, Junge stressed the spiritual aspect of fasting. “Since time immemorial, we have fasted in order to get space in our minds and hearts for renewal. So when I fast for the climate, I’m fasting first to get that mental space, that very strong focus, on vulnerable people suffering the most from climate change“, said the head executive of LWF.
“Climate change is an issue of inter-generational justice. That’s why I am fasting for the climate with a particular focus on the youth, who are already taking – and will take – the brunt of what will happen if we remain inactive on this issue”, added Junge.
For Archbishop Dr Antje Jackelén fasting is always a powerful reminder of the interdependence among people and with the planet. “Fasting for the climate is an expression of the global commitment in the worldwide church”, she said. “For all of our churches involved in the initiative, this has to do with leadership, values, lifestyle and justice”, added the Swedish church leader.
ACT Alliance general secretary Dr John Nduna fasted in solidarity with those who don’t have food on the table due to climate change. “It’s our responsibility, as an international community, to ensure that climate change is addressed and to reverse the problems that communities are facing, for the sake of those who have nothing to eat, whose children go to bed hungry”, he said.
Later the same day, Fast for the Climate enthusiasts gathered in a small church downtown Paris for the breaking of 24-hour fast and feast to celebrate unity and the solutions for a better future. Organizers estimate that about 10,000 people worldwide were fasting for climate action.
Addressing the participants of the celebration, Yeb Saño, who inspired the Fast for the Climate campaign, emphasized that the initiative is also a mechanism of pressure upon negotiators gathered at COP21. “We want to tell the world leaders here in Paris, that, please, don’t disappoint the world. The whole world is watching”, he said.
