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	Humanitarians are being asked to pick up the pieces of our unstable world by Filippo Grandi United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees   Jan. 2024   Last year, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, responded to a sharply higher number of new or deepening humanitarian crises – the highest annual number of declared emergencies in the last 10 years.   According to the Emergency Preparedness and Response in 2023 report, UNHCR issued 43 emergency declarations to scale up support in 29 countries.   “Over the past year, we have seen a staggering increase in emergencies, with new crises unfolding and unresolved ones deteriorating, pushing the boundaries of our capacity to respond,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR Director of External Relations.   “Whether sparked by conflict, human rights violations, natural disasters or extreme weather events, these emergencies have resulted in a surge of displacement, leaving countless individuals and families in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and protection. The scale of human suffering is unmeasurable and a stark reminder of the imperative for collective action and solidarity.”   During 2023, UNHCR responded to multiple crises globally, aiding millions affected by earthquakes in Syria, Turkiye and Afghanistan; a new conflict in Sudan and flare-ups of old conflicts in Karabakh and Somalia; a deteriorating crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, unprecedented mixed movements of refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean, and floods in Libya and the Horn of Africa.   With the upward trajectory of emergencies in 2023 poised to persist in 2024 and the number of forcibly displaced people expected to rise to 130 million by the end of the year, the need for solidarity and support for people forced to flee has never been as important as it is today.   Nov. 2023   Humanitarians are being asked to pick up the pieces of our unstable world, statement by Filippo Grandi - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the UN Security Council:   Our latest figures speak of 114 million refugees and displaced people around the world: 114 million!   This is surely a tangible but sometimes neglected symptom of the world’s current extreme disorder, and including this yearly discussion in your charged agenda, especially these days.   Forced displacement is also a consequence of the failure to uphold peace and security. And brutal conflict continues to be its main driver.   The past three weeks have provided devastating proof that disregarding the basic rules of war – international humanitarian law – is increasingly becoming the norm and not the exception, with innocent civilians killed in unprecedented numbers: in the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians and in the killing of Palestinian civilians and massive destruction of infrastructure caused by the ongoing Israeli military operation.   As we speak, and as you know, over two million Gazans, half of them children, are going through what my colleague Philippe Lazzarini has called “hell on earth”.   A humanitarian ceasefire coupled of course with substantive delivery of humanitarian aid inside Gaza can at least stop this spiral of death and I hope that you will overcome your divisions and exercise your authority in demanding one – the world is waiting for you to do so.   But one must hope that a ceasefire becomes the first step towards embarking again – finally – on the path towards a solution. Over many years, including those in which I headed UNRWA, I have observed how solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was always described as ‘elusive’: but it has not been elusive; it has been repeatedly and deliberately neglected, cast aside as something no longer necessary, and almost ridiculed.   Dealing with the chronic resurgence of violence, followed by temporary ceasefires, was deemed more expedient than focusing on a real peace; one able to provide Israelis and Palestinians with the rights, recognition, security, and statehood that they deserve.   I hope that now, amidst the horrors of war, we can at least see how grave a miscalculation that has been. There will be no peace in the region, and in the world, without a just solution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, including the end of the Israeli occupation.   I hope that the remarks by the Secretary-General here in the Council last week will help everybody reflect on the need to turn this somber page, difficult as it may be: because it is vital.   And the opposite is deeply troubling. While UNHCR does not have a mandate to operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (and let me pay tribute here especially to UNRWA, my former organization, and other humanitarian staff for their heroic work, and express my deepest condolences for the now over 70 colleagues who have been killed), it is clear that this latest and deadliest round of violent conflict risks infecting the wider region and beyond with catastrophic consequences – including in places where UNHCR is very much present and working to help protect and assist the displaced and solve their plight.   The conflict in Gaza is the latest – and perhaps largest – piece of a most dangerous jigsaw of war that is rapidly closing in around us. But we – you – have the responsibility to remember that it Is not the only one.   Look at Sudan: just six months ago governments and media were very focused on this situation as their citizens were being extracted from a war that erupted without warning and turned previously peaceful Sudanese homes into cemeteries. Now, fighting is growing in scope and brutality, affecting the people of Sudan, and the world is scandalously silent, though violations of international humanitarian law persist with impunity.   It is shameful that the atrocities committed 20 years ago in Darfur can be happening again today with such little attention. As a result, almost six million people have been forced from their homes; more than a million have fled to neighbouring and often fragile countries – and some of them have already moved on to Libya and Tunisia, and are crossing the Mediterranean on flimsy boats towards Italy and the rest of Europe. I welcome the resumption of the Jeddah talks – and hope they will help at least reach a ceasefire soon.   Look at Lebanon – reeling from economic collapse in a country where one in four people is a Palestinian or Syrian refugee – a concrete symptom of not one but two unresolved conflicts at this tiny country’s borders.   Look at the Central Sahel, where amongst grave political instability the brutal violence which has terrorised civilians for years is rising again, increasingly driving people to Africa’s coastal states, which are rightly very concerned, against the background of a climate emergency that is relentlessly wreaking havoc across the poorest countries.   Look at the Democratic Republic of Congo, where one of the worst effects of modern conflict – horrifying violence against women – is so widespread as a tool of war to make the world almost numb to the reports received every day of more women and children raped, exploited, and killed – violence that drives people from their homes every day.   Look at Armenia, where 100,000 refugees fled Karabakh in a matter of days; the result of yet another unresolved conflict that had been allowed to simmer for decades.   Look at places like Central America and elsewhere, where we observe growing patterns of unresolved crises compounded by criminality, including by gangs that cause displacement – and where increasingly complex population flows now include also many arriving from Africa and beyond – a testimony to the globality of displacement and despair.   Each new crisis seems to push the previous ones into dangerous oblivion. But they stay with us.   Look at Ukraine, where the plight of all civilians – including more than 11 million people forced from their homes following the Russian invasion – continues and is particularly acute now, as winter sets in again, as you have just heard. Their suffering must not be forgotten and this conflict, too, must be resolved with a just peace for the people of Ukraine.   Look at all these crises, Mr President. And let this lifelong humanitarian worker tell you that we need your voice to address each one of them. Not your voices. Your voice. Your strong, united voice, carrying the authority which the Charter vests in this Council, but which the world does not hear any more, drowned as it is in rivalries and divisions.   From where I sit, this has become difficult to understand. As a believer in multilateralism, and in the role of the United Nations, I simply cannot accept it.   Humanitarians are being asked to pick up the pieces and help more people in more places. We are asked to keep going for longer and to try to hold more things together, while little political capital is spent on making peace.   Please rest assured that we won’t give up, even when it is difficult. Recognising the extraordinary burden represented by millions of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, for example, we continue to work with the Government of Syria in bridging the still wide gap of trust and creating conditions for refugees to eventually return voluntarily, in safety and in dignity, when there is peace in the country.   This is why it is frustrating when we find windows for solutions, like for example in Burundi, and we do not have the funds to help people return home and restart their lives.   And there are different challenges as well – also a reflection of our unstable world: for example, in countries like Myanmar, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, where the combination of conflict, human rights violations and humanitarian challenges mean that delivering aid – indispensable to save lives – requires interaction with de facto authorities in fraught and often dangerous political contexts.   I appreciate the risks, and also the work done by the Council on humanitarian carve-outs, which I hope will continue. Because in these situations we need flexibility – from those in control of the territory first and foremost, but also from our supporters.   The reality is that humanitarians are trying to pick up the pieces of the jigsaw also in these places – places where most governments find it too difficult to operate. We are engaging and therefore we are exposed. But we persist because the people cannot wait for a peace that is not pursued.   And on top of this, we are being asked to do more with less. Forgive me if I talk money – but I must, because humanitarian work needs resources.   UNHCR alone urgently needs US$600 million before the end of the year, and prospects for next year are dismal, with big donors cutting aid and others – who could help – not engaging in multilateral support.   UNRWA – whose crucial role is now clear to all – has been left chronically underfunded. The World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the International Committee of the Red Cross all face the same financial crunch in their humanitarian activities.   So we prioritise and reprioritise. We cut rations, shelter, staff, hoping to maintain a lifeline to those in need. But in many places that lifeline is becoming thinner by the day.   Being alone, being exposed, being short of resources make me wonder for how much longer we can continue. Humanitarians are tough – but humanitarians, Mr President, are near breaking point. And what will you be left with, when they have to go?   The gravity of this moment cannot be overstated. The choices that the 15 of you make – or fail to make – will mark us all; and for generations to come. Will you continue to allow this jigsaw of war to be completed by aggressive acts, by your disunity, or by sheer neglect? Or will you take the courageous and necessary steps back from the abyss?   http://www.unhcr.org/news/speeches-and-statements/high-commissioner-s-statement-united-nations-security-council http://www.unhcr.org/news/unhcr-forced-displacement-continues-grow-conflicts-escalate http://story.internal-displacement.org/2023-mid-year-update/ Visit the related web page
	Climate chaos and food crises are serious and mounting threats by Antonio Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations   Climate chaos and food crises are serious and mounting threats to global peace and security. A global food crisis is creating a hellscape of hunger and heartache for many of the world’s poorest people. And the climate crisis is accelerating with a deadly force – last year was the hottest ever.   Both these facts undermine peace. Empty bellies fuel unrest. Climate disasters and conflict both inflame inequalities, imperil livelihoods, and force people from their homes. That can strain relations, stoke mistrust, and sow discontent.   While diminished resources and mass displacement can intensify competition. Conflict can easily be sparked where tensions are high, institutions are weak, and people are marginalised. And women and girls pay the highest price. Just as they do when food is short and climate disasters hit.   At the same time, climate and conflict are two leading drivers of our global food crisis. Where wars rage, hunger reigns – whether due to displacement of people, destruction of agriculture, damage to infrastructure, or deliberate policies of denial.   Meanwhile, climate chaos is imperilling food production the world over. Floods and droughts destroy crops, ocean changes disrupt fishing, rising seas degrade land and freshwater, and shifting weather patterns ruin harvests and spawn pests.   Climate and conflict were the main causes of acute food insecurity for almost 174 million people in 2022. And in many cases, they collide to hit communities with a double blow.   I am dismayed to say that our world today is teeming with examples of the devastating relationship between hunger and conflict.   In Syria, almost thirteen million people go to bed hungry after a decade of war and a horrendous earthquake. In Myanmar, conflict and political instability have thrown progress towards ending hunger into reverse. In Gaza, no one has enough to eat. Of the 700,000 hungriest people in the world, four in five inhabit that tiny strip of land.   In many places, climate disasters add another dimension. Every one of the fourteen countries most at risk from climate change are suffering conflict. Thirteen of them face humanitarian crisis this year.   In Haiti, hurricanes combine with violence and lawlessness to create a humanitarian crisis for millions. In Ethiopia, drought comes hot on the heels of war. Almost sixteen million people are estimated to require food assistance this year. And refugees from the conflict in neighbouring Sudan are adding pressure on already scarce resources.   In the Sahel, rising temperatures are raising tensions: Drying-up water resources, wrecking grazing land, and ruining smallholder agriculture – the staple of local economies. Against a backdrop of longstanding political instability, conflict between farmers and herders is the result.   Meanwhile, globally, we risk a resurgence of food inflation as droughts sap the Panama Canal and violence hits the Red Sea – throwing supply chains into disarray.   Without action, the situation will deteriorate. Conflicts are multiplying. The climate crisis is set to spiral, as emissions continue to rise. And acute food insecurity has been increasing year on year.   The World Food Programme estimates that over 330 million people were affected in 2023. And it has warned of an acute deterioration in eighteen “hunger hotspots” early this year.   To avoid mounting threats to international peace and security, we must step in. And act now to break the deadly links between conflict, climate and food insecurity.   First, all parties to all conflicts must abide by international humanitarian law. Far too often, this is not the case. Security Council Resolution 2417 on the protection of civilians in armed conflict is clear: goods essential to civilians’ survival must be protected. Starvation of civilians may constitute a war crime. And humanitarians must have unimpeded access to civilians in need.   The UN Security Council has a critical role in demanding compliance, and holding those who breach the resolution to account.   Second, we must fund humanitarian operations in full – to prevent disaster and conflict from feeding hunger. Last year, humanitarian operations were less than 40 percent funded. Around a third of the money for these operations was earmarked for tackling food insecurity.   Third, we must create the conditions to resolve conflict and preserve peace – within countries and between countries. Exclusion, inequalities and poverty all increase the risk of conflict.   Advancing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals – including our goal of zero hunger – is the answer. We need massive investment in a just transformation to healthy, equitable and sustainable food systems. And we need governments, business and society working together to make such systems a reality.   Today we see a grotesque disparity between allocation and need as hundreds of millions of people go to bed hungry every night.   And food production and distribution are responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. We must create food systems that feed the planet without wrecking the planet. That means aligning climate action and food systems to help secure sustainable development, good livelihoods, and healthy people on a healthy planet.   This requires working together, and bringing all people – women, young people and marginalized communities – into decision-making.   We must build and finance social protection systems to protect livelihoods and ensure basic access to services and resources.   And we must strengthen and renew global peace and security frameworks. It is vital that we make the most of the Summit of the Future later this year, where Member States will consider the proposed New Agenda for Peace. This presents a comprehensive vision for peace in our changing world, based on prevention and international law, and anchored in human rights. And it recognizes the links between sustainable development, climate action, and peace.   Fourth, we must get a grip on the climate crisis to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Because climate action is action for food security and action for peace.   G20 nations must lead a just global phase out of fossil fuels, in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances.   And all countries must create ambitious new national climate action plans – or nationally determined contributions – by 2025, that align with the 1.5-degree limit.   We must also get serious about adaptation: Ensuring every person on earth is protected by an early warning system by 2027, and that early warning leads to early action; And delivering adequate adaptation finance.   Developed countries must clarify how they will honour the promised $40 billion a year in adaptation finance by 2025. And they must show how the adaptation finance gap will be closed.   We also need substantial contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund established at COP28. And we need to support local institutions to take the lead in reducing disaster risk in their areas.   Today, a cost-of-living crisis, and unsustainable levels of debt mean that many developing countries simply cannot afford to invest in climate action, resilient food systems, or other sustainable development priorities.   I have proposed an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion a year in affordable, long-term finance for sustainable development and climate action. That includes urgent action on debt – breathing space for countries facing crippling repayment over the next three years will be critical.   We also need to recapitalize the Multilateral Development Banks and to change their business models to enable them to leverage far more private finance at reasonable cost for developing countries. And we need all countries to prioritise spending on the Sustainable Development Goals.   It is distressing to see governments spending heavily on arms, while starving budgets for food security, climate action, and broader sustainable development.   The message is clear: we can break the deadly nexus of hunger, climate chaos, and conflict. And quell the threat they pose to international peace and security. Let’s act to do so and build a liveable, sustainable future, free from hunger, and free from the scourge of war.   http://www.un.org/en/climatechange/speeches Visit the related web page
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