Sun 08 December 2019:
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) marked climate change to be among major humanitarian emergencies confronting humanity in its strategy for the next decade announced at the federation’s 22nd general assembly Thursday in Geneva.
Strategy 2030 comes as the product of two years of consultation and research with all 192 IFRC members and outlines how new challenges such as climate change and migration have become major issues for nearly all countries.
“Climate change is an existential threat that is already completely altering the work we do, and the lives of the people we support,” said IFRC President, Francesco Rocca, speaking at the general assembly.
“Tackling climate change will be our major priority over the coming decade. This means strengthening the capacity of each and every National Red Cross and Red Crescent Society so that they can effectively respond in their own contexts, as well as investing heavily in methods to help communities adapt,” he added.
‘Environmental crises and climate change’ are placed as the most important out of five global challenges in Strategy 2030. The other four global challenges are identified as evolving crises and disasters, growing gaps in health and well-being, migration and identity, and values, power and inclusion.
“It is clear that the existing international humanitarian system will have to significantly transform to cope with climate related challenges.. Strategy 2030 is IFRC’s commitment to this transformation,” said Elhadj As Sy, IFRC Secretary General.
The IFRC concluded that the devastating effects of these issues could be prevented by community strengthening, early warning systems, early alert, early actions , innovation and new forms of financing.
Climate related shocks and hazards are amongst the major humanitarian emergencies confronting humanity today, according to a new decade-long strategy adopted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) today in Geneva.
Strategy 2030 places ‘climate change and environmental crises’ at the top of a list of five global challenges that must be addressed in the coming decade. The other challenges identified in the strategy are ‘evolving crises and disasters’; ‘growing gaps in health and well-being’; ‘migration and identity’; and ‘values, power and inclusion’.
IFRC Secretary General, Elhadj As Sy, said:
“It is clear that the existing international humanitarian system will have to significantly transform to cope with climate related challenges.. Strategy 2030 is IFRC’s commitment to this transformation, as well as to the communities we live and work in.”
IFRC’s work to respond to climate change and environmental crises will involve a greater focus on identifying and addressing the drivers of vulnerability that are already being compounded by climate change. Ways in which IFRC can reduce these impacts – and even prevent them completely – include community strengthening, early warning systems, early alert, early actions , innovation and new forms of financing.
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