and welcome especially to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) committee. We

Transcription

1 Dear Delegates, Welcome to the University of California, Irvine s 26 th Annual Model United Nations conference and welcome especially to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) committee. We are excited for you all to be here. My name is Zhavierre and I will be one of your assistant directors for UNISDR. I am a first year student at the University of California, Irvine and I am majoring in Political Science. I also have interest in international studies, particularly Korean studies. I love to listen to different types of music from all around the world and learn about different cultures. I hope to one day travel aboard and get to experience the different cultures from around the world. I am excited meet you all and get to know each other during the conference. My name is Jocelyn and I am the other assistant director for UNISDR. I am currently a junior at the University of California, Irvine. I am pursuing degree in Public Health Sciences with a minor in International Studies. I am particularly interested in focusing on healthcare reform in Latin America and hope to have a career abroad. We hope this update paper provides more details for your research and serves as a refresher for the topics in our last week of preparation for UCIMUN We look forward to seeing you all and good luck! Best Wishes, Zhavierre McGowan Jocelyn Vilchez Assistant Directors, UNISDR unisdrucimun@gmail.com

2 TOPIC A: INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO NATURAL DISASTERS Disaster preparedness and resilience are what we as human aim to achieve in an unpredictable world susceptible to natural disasters. Natural disasters can strike quickly and cause severe, long-lasting damage, which can lead to death, displaced persons, health issues, unsafe living conditions and restricted access to resources. The aftermath of natural disasters is not only a national issue but an international issues that are worthy of international response. This topic focuses on the immediate response and disaster recovery and prevention of national disaster by the international sphere. While this topic is open, with no specific focus to allow for various issues to be discussed here are some latest news and progress on International response to natural disasters. As of 2005, over 1.5 billion people have been affected by disasters; the vulnerable population is affected more than any other. 1 Women children, elderly and disabled are more likely to suffer the effects of a natural disaster. Disaster risk reduction is imperative to achieve, this conviction is held firmly by a nonbinding and voluntary agreement the Sendai Framework, which aims to reduce the risk and losses of people, communities, and countries in the face of a natural disaster. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction later on agreed and adopted the Sendai Framework in The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction has recently celebrated its 3rd anniversary, while it has been implemented now for three years recently a slew of nations have started to implement the Sendai Framework. Due to constant natural disasters, Pacific Islanders have now been exposed to a high level of 1 "United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience." PreventionWeb.net Homepage - Serving the Information Needs of the Disaster Reduction Community, United Nations, 2 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction,

3 disaster risk, like climate change, sea level rising, and extreme weather with the Sendai Framework Monitor. 3 The Sendai Framework Monitor was launched on March 1st, 2018 and will be able to utilize data in the disaster loss databases and inform national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction. It also allows members states to report progress. Countries like Australia; Fiji; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga; and Vanuatu have now all be exposed and have access to the Sendai Framework Monitor Arab States are also gaining access and launching the Sendai Framework Monitor sending representatives for a three-day training event in Cairo, Egypt. 5 Central Asia is also seeing a launch of the Sendai Framework monitor in their region as well. 6 International response to disaster is also taking form in cities as well. These 20 cities are learning how to become resilient and prepared for disaster as 20 cities across the globe with populations of 70,000 to 10 million have participated in a four-day training in the beginning of 2018 to increase their knowledge and skills and better their disaster risk reduction action plans. These 20 cities come from the countries of Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Sudan, Egypt, Palestine, Kenya, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, Dominican Republic and Bangladesh. 7 There also other ways to respond to natural disasters with data collection and useful skills to help with prevention and recovery after a disaster, there is also the use of ever improving technologies for quick and immediate response. Space technologies have recently introduced to the UN in efforts to help 3 "Pacific Islands Launch Sendai Framework Monitor." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 4 "Pacific Islands Launch Sendai Framework Monitor." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 5 "Sendai Framework Monitor Launch in Arab States." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 6 "Sendai Monitor Launch in Central Asia/ South Caucasus." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 7 "Cities Scale Up Resilience." UNISDR,

4 implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Geospatial information provides knowledge on natural disasters and human-made disasters, which can lead to better understanding, which can be used to prevent or reduce disaster risk. Implementation of such technologies would require multiple organizations worldwide to help to facilitate and monitor satellites. 8 From the billions of people affected by disaster over 11 million people have been affected by tsunamis and have lost their life. 9 This emphasizes the urgency of quick and efficient response times, the Indian Ocean Tsunami early warning system helps to detect and monitor tsunamis, but many improvements are to be made to fully be prepared and knowledgeable of the tsunami's to come. It is said that science and new technologies need to work more closely with responders. It is the global initiative to make use of science and technology for disaster risk reduction "Space Technologies Key to Risk Reduction." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 9 "Response Times Key To Reducing Tsunami Deaths." UNISDR, 10 "Response Times Key To Reducing Tsunami Deaths." UNISDR,

5 Works Cited "Cities Scale Up Resilience." UNISDR, "Pacific Islands Launch Sendai Framework Monitor." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, "Response Times Key To Reducing Tsunami Deaths." UNISDR, A+unisdr+%28UNISDR+News%29. "Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, "Sendai Framework Monitor Launch in Arab States." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, "Sendai Monitor Launch in Central Asia/ South Caucasus." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, "Space Technologies Key to Risk Reduction." UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, "United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience." PreventionWeb.net Homepage - Serving the Information Needs of the Disaster Reduction Community, United Nations,

6 TOPIC B: THE LAKE CHAD BASIN EMERGENCY The Lake Chad Basin is a necessary resource for millions of people from northeast Nigeria to Cameroon, Chad, and Niger; however, it has shrunk to 1/10th of its original size, and now millions of people are facing famine and shortages of crops and supplies. The shrinkage of the Lake Chad Basin is due to the negatives trends of annual rainfall; precipitation is sporadic and temporary and prolonged droughts. 11 In addition, for eight years, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, have been affected by Boko Haram s insurgency, with a total of 17 million people affected. 12 Some 21 million people live on the border of Lake Chad across four different countries. 13 What was an already precarious situation of Lake Chad shrinking became even more unstable with attacks by Boko Haram. Disaster relief has been proposed by several countries and implemented to help the populations around the Lake Chad Basin. These countries are collectively trying to combat Boko Haram. New enforcements and cooperation with the military, have been a step toward progress for Nigeria. In recent news, the Government of Nigeria has announced that 104 of the 110 girls kidnapped in the Yobe state will be released. 14 Water condition, however, has not been improved and resulted in a cholera outbreak, declared on March 8. The response of the USAID/OFDA has been to increase practice in sanitation and has transported clean water to the area. Help has also been sent in the form of $9 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF). This is 11 Nkiaka, E., et al. "Analysis of Rainfall Variability in the Logone Catchment, Lake Chad Basin - Nkiaka International Journal of Climatology - Wiley Online Library." Wiley Online Library Scientific Research Articles, Journals, Books, and Reference Works, 1 Dec. 2016, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ /joc.4936/full. 12 "UN Officials Urge Sustained Support for Humanitarian Efforts in Lake Chad Basin." UN News, 21 Sept. 2017, news.un.org/en/story/2017/09/ un-officials-urge-sustained-support-humanitarian-efforts-lake-chad-basin. 13 Bouchane, Kolleen. "Terror in Lake Chad Basin and the Failure of the Humanitarian System." HuffPost, 6 Dec. 2017, 14 "Lake Chad Basin Disaster Assistance." U.S. Agency for International Development, 23 Mar. 2018,

7 estimated to provide aid to over 60,000 people. Due to ongoing critical conditions, an expansion of the area of emergency has been extended to reach Niger s Diffa Region. 15 Neighbors of northeast Nigeria where Boko Haram has placed its focus have responded to their threats by keeping the area under surveillance. There was some reluctance to crack down on Boko Haram out of fear of retaliation, but also there are some benefits limited and small benefits of staying like the promise of education under Boko Haram rule. 16 However, Boko Haram s agenda is to establish a caliphate in the northeast of Nigeria. He and his militants kill and set fire to villages on the islands. Many people have moved to the mainland of Chad to escape the violence. They have left behind their livelihood, work, and crops when evacuated. People are massacred, and families are split up and forced to kill one another under Boko Haram s rule. People flee from Nigeria to Chad and become refugees, some of which do not want to leave because the benefits they receive in the refugee camps. 17 Across the Lake Chad Basin, ⅓ of the population face malnutrition and death as a result of a food deficit. The UN has called for emergency support for the 17 million food insecure people in the Lake Chad Basin. The request for $1.1billion to support the humanitarian plan is only half funded. Sustained improvement is hindered by economic and political exclusion, climate change, demographic shifts, violent extremists, economic recession and low oil prices. Preventing further crises in the Lake Chad basin will require the strength of combined institutions and communities. There is currently a 2030 Agenda for 15 "Lake Chad Basin Disaster Assistance." U.S. Agency for International Development, 23 Mar. 2018, 16 Taub, Ben. "Lake Chad: The World's Most Complex Humanitarian Disaster." The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2017, 17 Taub, Ben. "Lake Chad: The World's Most Complex Humanitarian Disaster." The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2017,

8 sustainable development in the region which will reduce inequality and help lessen the effects of climate change. 18 USAID has proposed an emergency response plan also known as the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). It is estimated to reach about 6.1 million people in 2018, but there are projections for continued food insecurity and famine through mid The HRP established a plan for long-term recovery and sustainability to help the millions of people affected. Although the HRP was established, there are still many threats from the armed group, Boko Haram "UN Officials Urge Sustained Support for Humanitarian Efforts in Lake Chad Basin." UN News, 21 Sept. 2017, news.un.org/en/story/2017/09/ un-officials-urge-sustained-support-humanitarian-efforts-lake-chad-basin. 19 "Lake Chad Basin Disaster Assistance." U.S. Agency for International Development, 23 Mar. 2018,

9 Works Cited Bouchane, Kolleen. "Terror in Lake Chad Basin and the Failure of the Humanitarian System." HuffPost, 6 Dec. 2017, "Lake Chad Basin Disaster Assistance." U.S. Agency for International Development, 23 Mar. 2018, Nkiaka, E., et al. "Analysis of Rainfall Variability in the Logone Catchment, Lake Chad Basin - Nkiaka International Journal of Climatology - Wiley Online Library." Wiley Online Library Scientific Research Articles, Journals, Books, and Reference Works, 1 Dec. 2016, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ /joc.4936/full. Taub, Ben. "Lake Chad: The World's Most Complex Humanitarian Disaster." The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2017, "UN Officials Urge Sustained Support for Humanitarian Efforts in Lake Chad Basin." UN News, 21 Sept. 2017, news.un.org/en/story/2017/09/ un-officials-urge-sustained-support-humanitarianefforts-lake-chad-basin.