Water and sanitation, IDPs, pollution and health in Sudan, Central America and Mexico… news on Wednesday

It is urgent to accelerate efforts to provide water, sanitation and hygiene to the entire population.

this world Health Organization (WHO) urged global and local action this Wednesday to ensure water, sanitation and hygiene for all people on the planet.

This objection is the most recently published assessment of the global state of sanitation and drinking water Demonstrating the need to accelerate work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of universal access to these essential services by 2030, driven by data from more than 120 countries by WHO and UN-Water.

Although 45% of countries are on track to meet their national drinking water coverage targets, only 25% will achieve their sanitation targets.

In addition, the research reveals that less than a third of nations have adequate human resources and more than 75% lack the funds needed to implement plans and strategies to achieve the goal.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, reminded that inadequate access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene costs millions of lives each year, and that the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related extreme weather events is hampering the safe delivery of these services.

“We urge governments and development partners to significantly increase investments to strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene systems and expand safe access to these services for the entire population, starting with the most vulnerable,” said Tedros.

UN requests $1.7 billion for humanitarian aid to Sudan in 2023

Appealing to the generosity of international donors, the Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan in 2023 will reportedly require $1.7 billion to meet the most urgent needs of 12.5 million highly vulnerable people, the UN and humanitarian partners reported.

Resources will be used to fill the shortage of food, water, sanitation, health, protection and education, among other essential goods and services.

Aid agencies estimate that 15.8 million people, about a third of the country’s population, will need humanitarian assistance next year.

Conflict, risks to protect civilians, economic downturn, natural disasters, persistent disease outbreaks and unprecedented increases in acute food insecurity due to drought and erratic rainfall, as well as food inflation and other essential products are the causes of this crisis.

Central America and Mexico reaffirm their commitment to cooperation in the care of IDPs

Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Mexico adopted the Tegucigalpa Declaration Tuesday, which includes agreements to strengthen national and local institutions, promote dialogue, and take measures for shared responsibility and solidarity in favor of displaced people in the region. .

The statement was made in the capital of Honduras at the US-sponsored Comprehensive Framework for Protection and Solutions meeting. UN Refugee Agency Its President, Filippo Grandi, participated in the debates (UNHCR).

The Comprehensive Framework is a mechanism created five years ago to implement the Global Compact on Refugees.

At the meeting, countries presented their work on strengthening asylum systems, as well as continuing to mobilize economic, technical and material resources to sustain support and the design of new national and local policies to prevent, address and respond to forced displacement. In Central America and Mexico, 1.3 million people had to flee.

Throughout the region, displacement has increased further due to the epidemic, violence, insecurity and the effects of climate change.

Filippo Grandi urged Central American countries and Mexico to follow the path set since 2017, while urging States, development agencies, international financial institutions and the private sector to redouble their efforts to find humane, real and lasting solutions. “This includes broadening the scope of our interventions and investing in regional development frameworks,” he said.

The damage to health is more expensive than the measures taken to reduce pollution

new study The Economic Commission for Europe report on the costs of inaction to reduce air pollution found that in 26 out of 56 countries in the pan-European region and North America, the cost of damage to health, ecosystems and the economy from this pollution equates to: Gross Domestic Product More than 5% of (GDP).

Damage exceeds 10% of GDP in at least six countries. Much of the cost of damage is reflected in reduced life expectancy; morbidity costs – including hospitalizations, sick leave, medications; and harm ecosystems.

Instead, the study suggests that the average cost of an optimal strategy to reduce air pollution is 0.01% to 0.02% of GDP.