Podcasts about humanitarian affairs ocha

Tom Fletcher heads the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and has been at the forefront of recent efforts to deliver aid into Gaza. Last week, he was criticised for making inaccurate claims about the impact of the Israeli blockade. No stranger to tough jobs, he was previously a foreign policy advisor to three British Prime Ministers and the UK Ambassador to Lebanon as the country dealt with the civil war in neighbouring Syria. He once fought the mayor of Nairobi in a boxing match and had a mortar round land in his swimming pool at the British embassy in Beirut. One of four siblings, he was born in Folkestone, where he attended the Harvey Grammar School before studying at Oxford University. Prior to his UN role he was Principal of Hertford College and has written books on diplomacy as well as novels.Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Tom Gillett, Lucy Pawle and Jo Casserly Editor: Nick Holland Sound: Gareth Jones Production Coordinator: Sabine Schereck

Israel bombs one of the last working hospitals in Gaza, a place where usually treatable health conditions can now mean death. Targeting health facilities is a war crime, yet, it still happens. So, what's the impact of Israel's attacks on patients and doctors? In this episode: Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza. Dr. Tanya Haj Hassan, Paediatric Intensive Care Doctor. Dr. Mads Gilbert, Emergency Medicine Doctor, Senior Consultant, University Hospital of North Norway. Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

"What is happening here defies decency, it defies humanity, it defies the law," a UN humanitarian official said Wednesday, describing mounting horrors in Gaza as a “war without limits.” Briefing reporters in New York via video call, Jonathan Whittall, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, recounted a recent mission to Rafah, where he and colleagues uncovered a mass grave containing the bodies of medics. “These were medical workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Civil Defense, still in their uniforms, still wearing gloves, they were killed while trying to save lives,” he said. “The ambulances were hit one by one as they advanced, as they acted into Rafah.” Whittall said the site was marked by crushed emergency vehicles, including a fire truck and a UN car. The incident, he said, was only one in a “parade” of horrors. In the past two weeks alone “UN premises have been shelled with tank fire, killing one of our colleagues and seriously injuring others. We've had international aid compounds and hospitals that have been hit,” he said. “People have been bombed at food distribution points where aid workers have also been killed.” Since the collapse of a ceasefire two weeks ago, forced displacement has surged, Whittall said, with about 100,000 people fleeing Rafah in the past 48 hours alone - many under fire. “I saw some of them in the same mission that I described at the beginning... running towards us and being shot in their backs,” he said. According to OCHA, 64 percent of Gaza is now under forced evacuation. “Nowhere and no one is safe in Gaza,” Whittall said. “My colleagues tell me that they just want to die with their families. Their worst fear is to survive alone.” Whittall also spoke about a total aid blockade. “Today, unfortunately, marks one month without any supplies entering into Gaza,” he said. “That's one month of no food, no fuel, no aid, nothing has entered. So, 2.5 million people are trapped, bombed, starved.” Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with reporters in Ottawa after chairing a virtual meeting on U.S. tariffs with Canada's premiers. Carney comments on yesterday's announcement by President Donald Trump that the United States would impose reciprocal tariffs on a host of trading partners. The prime minister announces reciprocal 25 per cent tariffs on all automobiles from the United States that are not compliant with CUSMA trade agreement. Carney says that the money raised by the retaliatory measures will go toward providing support to the auto industry and its workers impacted by the U.S. tariffs. Carney faces questions from reporters on the future of the Canada-U.S. relationship and whether he has plans to speak with President Trump again in the near term.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.

When a man-made or natural disaster strikes, aid agencies must turn to donors, hat in hand, to fundraise for the response. This includes UN agencies like the World Food Programme and UNICEF, as well as international NGOs like the International Rescue Committee and Save the Children. Over the years, the UN has established a mechanism to consolidate these appeals through the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). It's a relatively straightforward and streamlined process: agencies outline their needs, and donors pledge funds to support the response. Historically, the United States has been the largest single donor, accounting for about 40% of all emergency humanitarian relief funding. But now, that funding has been abruptly cut. The consequences of this decision have been profound, both for the people who rely on humanitarian assistance and for the professionals who have dedicated their careers to relief work. As my guest today, Thomas Byrnes, explains, the freezing of U.S. foreign aid and the dismantling of USAID have triggered a collapse of the global humanitarian system, with ripple effects we discuss in detail. Thomas Byrnes is the director of Market Impact, a humanitarian and development consultancy firm. We begin by exploring how the global humanitarian system functions, why the United States was its lynchpin, and the near- and long-term implications of the near-total upheaval of the world's approach to humanitarian crises. Get 40% Off a Subscription using this link: https://www.globaldispatches.org/124f4694 

The Director of Operations and Advocacy for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has called on the Security Council to do more to protect Sudanese civilians, including making humanitarian access possible and mobilizing funding. Edem Wosornu briefed the Security Council Wednesday in New York on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan

With more than 300 million people globally in urgent need of assistance, the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is struggling to meet growing demand and operating under severe financial constraints, the UN's humanitarian chief has said. In an interview with The National's Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi, the UN's Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher emphasised the importance of making humanitarian operations more efficient by cutting bureaucracy and diversifying funding sources beyond traditional donors. As he completed his first 100 days in office, a period marked by escalating conflicts in the Middle East, Mr Fletcher said he had visited Gaza, Syria and Sudan, and described Gaza as “worse than anything” he had ever seen. He highlighted the success of aid operations since the Gaza ceasefire took effect, which have managed to get 20,000 aid lorries into the enclave. Turning to Syria, Mr Fletcher urged the international community to engage in reconstruction efforts as the country emerges from years of civil war and sanctions. He also praised the UAE's growing leadership in humanitarian aid, noting its significant role not just in funding, but also in bringing innovation and problem-solving to the sector.

 The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher today (23 Jan) told the Security Council that “the children of Gaza are not collateral damage” and are “as deserving as children everywhere of security, education and hope.” Before today's meeting on the situation of children in the occupied Palestinian territory began, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya asked for the floor. Nebenzya said, “the refusal” of UNICEF's Head Catherine Russell to brief today's Council session, was “a flagrant step which deserves our most serious censure.” The Russian Ambassador said Russell, “during the US presidency of the Security Council, came to brief us at the drop of a hat at a disgraceful, politicized briefing about the so-called children's aspects of the situation in Ukraine, on the 4th of December of last year.” Adding, “it would appear that for UNICEF, children in Gaza are less important than children in Ukraine.” United States Ambassador Dorothy Shea also requested the floor and said, “the idea that the United States is responsible for the terrible suffering there is, just unacceptable to us, and we reject it, in its totality.” Fletcher told the Council that children in Gaza, “have been killed, starved and frozen to death. They have been maimed, orphaned, separated from their family. Conservative estimates indicate that over 17,000 children are without their families in Gaza. Some died before their first breath, perishing with their mothers in childbirth. An estimated 150,000 pregnant women and new mothers are in desperate need of health services. Children have lost their schools and their education.” He said children in Gaza “tell us that the world was not there for them throughout this war. We must be there for them now.” Palestinian author Bisan Nateel, who writes children books, told the Council, “we have always been waiting for the moment when the Security Council would announce a ceasefire to end all these massacres and violations against the Palestinians in Gaza. Today, I hope. To live the ceasefire and for all our children to go back to their schools and for us to go back to our normal life when we used to go to our schools, to work, when we used to play, plant, work. The natural act of life, just to live.” Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called upon the international community “to enable UNWRA to reopen its schools in the Gaza Strip, and to equip it to welcome thousands of children to resume formal education. And to reach every young boy and girl evenly and safely.” For his part, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said, “it is Hamas, not Israel, that has turned Gaza into a war zone. It is Hamas, not Israel, that uses children as human shields. It is Hamas, not Israel, that places its terror infrastructure in schools, hospitals and civilian neighbourhoods. But time and time again, this Council chooses to ignore these facts.” The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that large volumes of humanitarian aid continue to enter Gaza through the Erez and Zikim crossings in the north and Kerem Shalom crossing in the south. Inside Gaza, OCHA says that aid cargo and humanitarian personnel are moving into areas that were previously hard to reach. Hope in Gaza Press conference by Muhannad Hadi, Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. ---------- “When I entered Gaza this morning, it felt like this was probably one of the happiest days of my professional life,” said Muhannad Hadi, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during a video press conference from Jerusalem. Hadi had just returned from a visit to Gaza, where he observed signs of recovery amid ongoing humanitarian challenges. Speaking to reporters today (21 Jan), Hadi described a markedly different atmosphere compared to his previous visits over the past year. " The people I met had a different attitude. It made me very happy to see that people had already started moving, some of them going back to their places of origin," he said. "I saw people in the streets starting to clean up the roads. There is a bit more law and order compared to the times before, when I was entering Gaza and seeing our humanitarian trucks being looted. This time, I saw things are improving." During his visit, Hadi toured a communal kitchen operated by the WFP in Khan Younis, where he met families reliant on the meals provided, who told him, “If it wasn't for that kitchen, they probably would have starved to death. But they were very hopeful, and they actually gave me a lot of hope for the future," he said. However, the reliance on humanitarian aid remains a source of frustration for many residents. "All of them told me that what they want now, immediately, is to go home. They want income-generating activities. They don't like the fact that they have been depending on humanitarian aid," Hadi explained. Hadi emphasized the need to prioritize sustainable recovery efforts. “We'd like to start with income-generating activities, because this is what people have said. Some agriculture projects, if we can, cash-for-work, and any other opportunities. Rubble removal is a lot of work," he said. Despite progress, Hadi acknowledged the challenges in maintaining and scaling up aid delivery. “The reason I don't like to focus on trucks is simply that there are a lot of services that the people of Gaza need that you don't load on trucks: protection, psychosocial support, education itself.” He also added, “We need to make sure right now that we focus on bringing in as much humanitarian aid as we can.” Hadi also highlighted the critical role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), “It's not easy to replace UNRWA, and we're hoping that they will continue, one way or another, operating. We're talking about education, health, and logistics support. UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, by the way—it is the second-largest employer in Gaza after the Palestinian authorities. So, you can imagine the critical role of UNRWA,” he said, underscoring the need for continued support for the agency's operations.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.

This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, NHK Japan, and Radio Havana Cuba. http://youthspeaksout.net/swr240913.mp3 (29:00) From GERMANY- In Israel, 42 army reservists wrote an open letter in May stating their refusal to return to Gaza. Two of those army reservists spoke to DW about what made them change their minds about the IDF actions in Gaza. Many Israelis consider them traitors and they may be charged in court with desertion. In Mexico outgoing President Obrador got a judicial reform passed that will end the appointment of judges by the legislators and have them chosen by popular vote in their regions- activists, mostly students, opposed to the measure stormed the Senate. From JAPAN- A super typhoon named Yagi hit Vietnam with severe damages. An update on the sale of US Steel to Japanese firm Nippon. Ukrainian drones hit a Russian ammunition depot which they allege contained North Korean missiles. The US alleges that Iran is supplying missiles to Russia which Iran strongly denies. Australian PM Albanese wants age limits imposed on youth using social media. An Israeli airstrike hit a designated evacuation zone in the Gaza Strip killing at least 40 people, mostly civilians. From CUBA- In Brazil, former President Bolsonaro rallied thousands to protest the nations ban on social media platform giant X, formerly Twitter. Venezuelan President Maduro said the people do not want more sanctions threatened by the US and called for a dialogue on preventing fascism. Am on this day piece on September 11th. In Britain, tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a halt to weapon supplies to Israel. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza are warning of widespread contamination on the roads from weapons. Available in 3 forms- (new) HIGHEST QUALITY (160kb)(33MB), broadcast quality (13MB), and quickdownload or streaming form (6MB) (28:59) Links at outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml PODCAST!!!- https://feed.podbean.com/outFarpress/feed.xml (160kb Highest Quality) Website Page- < http://www.outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml ¡FurthuR! Dan Roberts "Terrorism doesn't just blow up buildings; it blasts every other issue off the political map. The spectre of terrorism -real and exaggerated - has become a shield of impunity, protecting governments around the world from scrutiny for their human rights abuses." --Naomi Klein Dan Roberts Shortwave Report- www.outfarpress.com YouthSpeaksOut!- www.youthspeaksout.net

At least 280 humanitarian aid workers were killed last year around the world. This is according to the United Nations which says more than half of the workers died during the Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says last year was the deadliest year ever for the humanitarian community. Maureen Ojiambo reports

In the wake of Monday's attacks on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital and other sites across Ukraine, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya today (9 Jul) told the Security Council that “hospitals have special protection under international humanitarian law,” and “intentionally directing attacks against a protected hospital is a war crime, and perpetrators must be held to account.”Msuya said these incidents “are part of a deeply concerning pattern of systematic attacks harming healthcare and other civilian infrastructure across Ukraine,” which she said, “have intensified since the spring of 2024.”The humanitarian official described the situation of women and children in Ukraine, noting that “access to medical care for women and girls – including maternal and reproductive health care – is severely restricted.”She said, “thousands of children continue to have daily lessons in bunkers, 20 feet below the ground. And for everyone, the constant fear caused by this war is having a serious impact on mental health.”Msuya said, “for more than two years now, people across all of Ukraine have shown remarkable fortitude and resilience in unbelievably challenging circumstances. However, yesterday's attacks and their impacts are a reminder of the deplorable human toll of this war, particularly on the most vulnerable members of society – tragedies we will see again and again as long as this conflict continues, and the rules of war are defied.”Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Council that photos and videos show the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital was hit by “a missile of the Ukrainian Air Defence.”Nebenzya spoke of “verbal gymnastics, demonstrated today by Western members of the Security Council, trying by any means to protect the Kyiv regime” and said today's Council meeting was “an excellent opportunity to tell the truth about what actually happened.”He said those Council Members had “tried to engage in wishful thinking by condemning the allegedly intentional strike of the Russian air force against the children's medical.”For his part, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya noted that “at least 47 people were killed and more than 190 were wounded following yesterday's strike,” and said, “Putin's envoy employed his usual tactics of denying reality and blaming Ukrainian Air Defence.”He pointed to “clear footage of the Russian missile approaching the hospital, the scale of the destruction, and the eyewitness accounts” and said Nebenzya's “comments about the possibility to destroy it entirely if Russia supposedly hit it, is just monstrous.”According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) more than 14.6 million people – or about 40 per cent of Ukraine's population – require some form of humanitarian assistanceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.

*) Israeli shelling, raids leave Gaza reeling with multiple deaths Several Palestinians, including women, have been killed and many others wounded in a series of Israeli raids across the besieged Gaza. According to a medical source, seven bodies were brought to al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, following an Israeli bombing that targeted a family. Separately, the Israeli army continued shelling the Shujaiah neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, causing extensive damage to residential areas. *) Gaza ceasefire negotiations to continue next week — Israel The head of Israel's Mossad has returned from Doha after an initial meeting with mediators to negotiate a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that negotiations will resume next week but noted that gaps remain between the sides. *) Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran's presidential election Masoud Pezeshkian has won the presidential run-off, defeating his rival Saeed Jalili, as confirmed by the Interior Ministry of Iran. Early vote counts on Saturday showed Pezeshkian securing 16.3 million votes, while Jalili received 13.5 million in Friday's election. Over 61 million Iranians were eligible to vote, including about 18 million aged 18 to 30. *) 4.5M people internally displaced in Ethiopia as of June: UN report Ethiopia is facing a severe internal displacement crisis, with an estimated 4.5 million people forced from their homes primarily due to conflict as of June, according to a UN report. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted that the Somali, Oromia, and Tigray regions are the most affected. Over half of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been displaced for more than a year, while 23 percent have been displaced for two to four years, and 11 percent for five years or more. *) Palestine plans to play World Cup qualifiers in occupied West Bank After advancing further than ever in World Cup qualifying, Palestine is determined to host a game on home soil. The Palestinian Football Association has proposed playing matches in the third stage of its Asian qualification campaign in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. They have already garnered support from several opponents, starting with Jordan on September 10. The Palestinian team made history by progressing through the second round of continental qualifying in June.

War-torn Sudan is facing a looming famine and the world's largest displacement crisis as the conflict between rival militaries that started last April grinds on and the situation deteriorates on the ground. UN News's Khaled Mohamed spoke with Justin Brady, who leads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the country.Speaking from Port Sudan, where most aid agencies are now based, Mr. Brady warned that “the images starting to come out from some areas are reminiscent of the worst of any famine we have seen elsewhere” and described the tense situation in El Fasher and other hotspots around the country, stressing that “we're in a race against time, but the time is running out.”

Episode 23 of Borderlines features our guest host, Chancellor's Clinical Professor of Law Laurel E. Fletcher (Berkeley), in conversation with Professor of Practice Gabor Rona (Cardozo) on the Israel/Hamas conflict from an international law perspective. Fresh off of speaking at Berkeley Law on 22 February 2024 as part of a Bay Area campus lecture series on the crisis, Professor Rona sat down with Professor Fletcher to discuss the relevant frameworks of international law and its institutions, including the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention on Genocide, as well as current cases before the International Court of Justice regarding Israel/Palestine. Listeners will learn how the laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law are invoked, how historically pressure is brought to bear on governments from international organizations and actors, and why the Red Cross/Red Crescent has been prevented from aiding both Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians in Gaza despite human suffering. Students in particular will take away powerful lessons about the need to combat misinformation and to seek “justice for an eye” in their pursuit of peaceful solutions to war and violence. Professor Rona has worked in armed conflict settings for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and as International Legal Director at Human Rights First. He now teaches various international law subjects at both Cardozo and Columbia Law Schools. Professor Fletcher is the International Human Rights Law Clinic Co-Director and the Faculty Co-Director of the Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law at Berkeley Law. For a transcript of this episode, please visit the episode page on Berkeley Law website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GAZA The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the intensifying offensive in Deir al Balah, in central Gaza, and Khan Younis, in the south, is driving up civilian casualties and having devastating consequences for tens of thousands of people, many of whom had fled to Deir al Balah for safety from Gaza city and the north. As a result of increased attacks – including one that directly hit an UNRWA warehouse on Thursday, killing a UN staff member – humanitarian operations in Deir al Balah have been severely curtailed. Warehouses, distribution and health centres and shelters fall within areas that have been newly issued with evacuation orders. Several bakeries that were supported by the UN and its partners have been forced to shut down operations in Deir al Balah as a result of the fighting.As casualties rise, the ability to treat people is in jeopardy, with three hospitals in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis at risk of closure due to the issuance of evacuation orders in nearby areas and fighting approaching the hospitals. Yesterday, staff from the World Health Organization and OCHA visited the Al Aqsa Hospital, the only functioning hospital in Deir al Balah. According to the hospital director, because of increasing hostilities and ongoing evacuation orders, most of the local health workers and about 600 patients have been forced to leave the facility to unknown locations. The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, wrote that his staff witnessed “sickening scenes of people of all ages being treated on blood-streaked floors and in chaotic corridors.”The hospital reported immense needs, notably health workers, medical supplies, beds, and the need to be protected from strikes and hostilities. Dr. Tedros said that Al Aqsa is the most important hospital remaining in Deir al Balah and must remain functional, and protected, to deliver its lifesaving services. By the end of 2023, according to UNRWA, 1.9 million people, or nearly 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza, were estimated to be internally displaced, including many who have been displaced multiple times, as families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety. Nearly 1.4 million internally displaced people are sheltering in 155 UNRWA facilities, which are far exceeding their intended capacity. UNICEF announced over the weekend that a survey conducted on December 26th found that about 90 per cent of Gazan children under the age of two consume two or fewer food groups. Most children are reportedly only eating grains or milk. SIGRID KAAG Ms. Sigrid Kaag started her assignment today as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023). In her new capacity she will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and verify humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza.   Ms. Kaag has also received the mandate to establish a United Nations mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza through States which are not party to the conflict. She is in New York and she will be meeting with the Secretary-General, then she will go to Washington D.C. this week for meetings before traveling to the region.

https://youtu.be/W8pr9oR1JUk The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has been tracking deaths in the conflict since 2008 and its data shows that 5,600 Palestinians died up to 2020 while 115,000 were injured. 250 Israelis died during the same period while 5,600 were injured. - The Human Cost Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Statista.com Watch on BitChute

Eva Nowotny in conversation with Philippe Lazzarini UNRWA – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees Eva Nowotny and Philippe Lazzarini talk about UNRWA, what makes it so special within the UN, why it is essential and what needs to be done to ensure a sustainable future of the organization and its work. Within the broader UN-family, UNRWA is quite a unique agency. It is the only organization in the UN family to provide direct public services like education, primary health care and a social safety net to Palestinian refugees in the region. It has a humanitarian mandate but its tasks are political in their impact in providing perspectives for Palestinian refugees. However, UNRWA finds itself in a crisis  due to the unreliability of its main donors. The agency needs a proper debate with the member states regarding common duties and commitment vis à vis Palestinian refugees in the future in order to find ways out of its precarity. Philippe Lazzarini is Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Prior to this position, he was Deputy Special Coordinator, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon in the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (2015-2020) and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia (2013-2015). Philippe Lazzarini joined the United Nations in 2003 and has served the Organization in various capacities, including as Deputy Director, Coordination and Response Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Head of the OCHA Office for the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia and Angola and as Area Coordinator for the OCHA Office in Iraq. Before joining the United Nations, he served for ten years with the International Committee of the Red Cross as the Deputy Head of Communication, Head of the ICRC Delegation in Rwanda, Angola and Sarajevo and as an ICRC delegate in Southern Sudan, Jordan, Gaza and Beirut. Eva Nowotny, Board Member of Bruno Kreisky Forum, Ambassador ret. Recorded on June 12, 2023 at the Bruno KreiskyForum.Technical producton: Maximilian Hofko

Officials from Alberta Emergency Management Agency and Alberta Wildfire will provide an update on Monday regarding the Alberta wildfire situation.As of Monday morning, Alberta Wildfire had 95 wildfires burning across the province, 23 of which were listed as out of control.Officials continue to thank Albertans for being safe and requested people continue to take all measures to avoid human-caused fires, including abiding by the fire ban in effect, so that firefighters can continue to focus on the fires already burning.“Given the conditions, it is imperative that everyone continue to respect the fire ban and off-highway vehicle restriction that is in place,” Josee St-Onge, a spokesperson for Alberta Wildfires, said.St-Onge said there were over 1,500 Albertans working on wildfires, a number that includes firefighters, Alberta Wildfire staff and others.She said 284 firefighters from outside the province are also now helping and another 250 firefighters from Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Montana, South Dakota and Idaho have arrived in Alberta and will be deployed.Firefighters have been successful creating fire guards around the perimeter of fires, and they have been holding, St-Onge said. She added that crews will continue to be challenged, though, as temperatures and winds pick up.Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, noted that the humanitarian operating environment in Ukraine remains complex and dangerous. Nonetheless, he said, thanks to the courage of humanitarian workers, particularly and mostly local workers, the UN and its partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance to front line areas and wherever they are needed across the country. Mr. Griffiths also emphasized that food exported under the Black Sea initiative – and food and fertilizer exports from the Russian Federation – continue to make a crucial contribution to global food security. Over the past month, he said, we have unfortunately seen a significant reduction in volumes of exports moving out of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, due to challenging dynamics within the Joint Coordination Centre and a related slowdown in operations. Mr. Griffiths noted that in recent weeks, we have engaged in intensive discussions with the parties on the Black Sea Initiative, to secure agreement on its extension and the improvements needed for it to operate effectively and predictably, and that we will continue over the coming days. In parallel, he said that Rebeca Grynspan and her team have continued to deliver a wide range of support with concrete results under the Memorandum of Understanding on the facilitation of export of Russian food and fertilizer. He stressed that the continuation of the Black Sea initiative is critical, as is the recommitment by the parties to its smooth and efficient operation, and we call on all parties to meet their responsibilities in this regard. The world is watching, he said.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has received reports of deadly attacks across the country over the weekend. In addition to civilian casualties, there was damage to schools, hospitals and other critical facilities on both sides of the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine. In the city of Mykolaiv, an attack on Saturday damaged a bakery contracted by the World Food Programme (WFP) to supply bread to communities there and in the neighbouring city of Kherson. The vehicles used to store and transport bread were also damaged. Thankfully, the staff were safe and able to return to work.The Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, said that the humanitarian community will continue to support their courageous work being done by the staff working in that bakery in efforts to bring bread to front-line communities.Once again, the UN calls on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Before 2018, there were few structural ways for communications to be rapidly restored after a major disaster struck a community. But the satellite industry understood how vital communications are as the first response to a disaster. It established the Crisis Connectivity Charter, a collaboration between the satellite industry and the humanitarian relief community to make satellite-based communications more readily available to affected communities. The Charter established a pre-planned set of systems that allow for an immediate response at the time of a disaster. The Crisis Connectivity Charter, which won a Better Satellite World Award in 2018, was developed by members of the EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA) and the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) and their members, in coordination with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), which was led by the World Food Programme (WFP). At the time of creation, the Charter aimed to foster efficient cooperation between the satellite industry, local governments, non-government organizations (NGOs) and the broader humanitarian community in the initial stages of a disaster, allowing for better communication planning, increased connectivity and support for emergency responses. The Charter prioritized access to bandwidth during disaster responses by allocating pre-positioned satellite equipment and transmission capacity into high-risk countries. It also provides training and capacity-building for the humanitarian community around the world. What have been the results of this historic agreement and Charter to date? In this fourth episode of Bridging the Broadband Gap, we hear from David Meltzer, Secretary General of GVF and James Matthews, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Eutelsat Group, who discuss the Charter and its effects thus far.

While the spotlight is on Ukraine, the UN says humanitarian needs in Syria are greater than ever. Podcast host Imogen Foulkes is joined in this episode by humanitarian experts.“The World Food Programme had to reduce by 13% their food rations because of funding,” says Sanjana Quazi, head of office at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Turkey.The UN budget for Syria is underfunded and further devalued by rising food and fuel prices.“What we're seeing is a trend towards negative coping mechanisms. Early marriage, child labour, and what's really alarming is increased attempted suicide rates,” says Tanya Evans, country director at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Syria.Has the world forgotten about Syria?“If I read the English newspapers, it's all about Ukraine. How can we put what's happening in Syria back on the radar?” asks analyst Daniel Warner.

**Secretary-General's TravelGood afternoon and happy Friday to everyone. The Secretary-General has recently arrived in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, where he is set to meet the President of Moldova, Maia Sandru. Earlier today, the Secretary-General traveled to Odesa, Ukraine's main Black Sea port, where he was greeted by Oleksandr Kubrakov, the country's infrastructure minister. The Secretary-General boarded the M/V Kubrosli Y, a bulk carrier loading up some 10,000 metric tons of wheat. Touring the ship, he was able to witness grain filling up the ship's holding tanks.In speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr. [António] Guterres expressed his emotion at being able to witness the loading operation. He said that in less than a month, 25 ships have departed from Odesa and other Ukrainian ports, carrying well over 600,000 metric tons of food products. As he toured the port, the Secretary-General made a special appeal to the wealthier world for those bearing the brunt of the global food crisis. He said that it is time for massive and generous support so developing countries can purchase the food from Odesa and other ports — and people can buy it.Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will fly to Istanbul to visit the Joint Coordination Centre for the Black Sea Grain Initiative. He will return to New York late tomorrow night.**AfghanistanIn a statement issued yesterday evening, the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern over a series of explosions in Afghanistan that have killed and injured more than 250 people this month, including children. He strongly condemned the Wednesday attack at the Abu Bakar Mosque in Kabul city. The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the victims' families and wishes a swift recovery to those injured. Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. All Afghans have the right to live in peace and exercise their freedom of religion.**Occupied Palestinian TerritoryIn a statement yesterday, United Nations agencies working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said that they and their partners take seriously allegations of funding terrorism and the Israeli designations of seven Palestinian organizations as “terror organizations” and/or “unlawful”. However, they add, despite offers to review the allegations to determine if funds have been diverted, Israeli authorities have not given any compelling evidence to the United Nations Agencies nor its NGO (non-governmental organization) partners working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to support these designations. The attempted closures of these organizations' offices represent the latest in a series of actions by Israel that are further limiting the ability of human rights, humanitarian and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which affect all institutions working to promote human rights, development and delivering assistance. The UN agencies urge the Government of Israel to refrain from any action that would prevent these organizations from continuing their critical human rights, humanitarian and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.**Horn of AfricaIn the Horn of Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) is expanding its assistance as levels of hunger soar after back-to-back droughts. Since the start of the year, 9 million more people have slipped into severe food insecurity across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, leaving 22 million people struggling to find enough food to eat. Across the Horn of Africa, the drought is expected to continue in the coming months, with a fifth poor rainy season forecast for later this year. Across the three drought-affected countries, WFP is targeting 8.5 million people across the Horn of Africa, up from 6.3 million at the start of the year. WFP is providing food and cash assistance to families and distributing fortified foods to women and young children to treat spiralling rates of malnutrition and prevent more people from slipping closer towards famine. WFP cash grants and insurance schemes are also helping families to buy food to keep livestock alive or to compensate them when their animals die. More information is available online.**SomaliaStaying in the Horn of Africa, in Somalia, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, has released $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to ramp up emergency aid in the country, which is looking into the abyss after its worst drought in 40 years. Catastrophic levels of food insecurity have been declared for the first time since 2017, with 213,000 people in famine-like conditions and half the population — 7.8 million people — being acutely food insecure. The drought has displaced over one million people in Somalia since 2021, and an estimated 1.5 million children under age 5 face acute malnutrition. Humanitarians reached over 4 million people with assistance in the first half of this year, and they continue to scale up to avert the worst, supported by the additional CERF funds. With this latest funding, the Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated a total of $41 million to the drought response in Somalia this year.**ZambiaIn Zambia, our United Nations team, led by Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali, is bolstering efforts to support authorities to tackle multiple shocks, including the spike in costs of living, climate change and the pandemic impacts. On the health front, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has purchased 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, nearly a quarter million test kits, 1 million sets of personal protective equipment and 500 cold chains and solar fridges, boosting the national vaccination campaign, alongside the team's communications efforts. Over half of the population is fully vaccinated. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also trained over 260 health workers to manage cases in isolation centres. For its part, the World Food Programme has helped 110,000 smallholder farmers recover from droughts, with training to protect degraded soil and diversify crops. We are also investing in entrepreneurship, with the International Labour Organization (ILO) training over 400 small and medium companies on safety and improved operations, while the UN Development Programme (UNDP) helped establish a fund to boost women's access to credit and further support businesses.**HaitiAnd in Haiti, Martin Griffiths has allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help meet humanitarian needs caused by gang violence in Haiti. Since July, hundreds of people have been killed in clashes between gangs in Haiti's Cité Soleil. Many others have been trapped in the fighting, cutting off their access to drinking water, food and health care. Overall, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that nearly 280,000 people are affected by this situation. Funding through UNICEF and WFP will provide food, drinking water, health care and education support to more than 100,000 people. The high level of insecurity is compromising humanitarians' access to impacted people, for food or cash distributions, as well as access to basic services such as health and education for at least 1 to 1.5 million people who are trapped in gang-controlled neighbourhoods. The Haiti Humanitarian Response Plan, asking for $373 million, is currently 14 per cent funded.**EbolaWHO has published today its first guideline for Ebola virus disease therapeutics, with new strong recommendations for the use of two monoclonal antibodies. WHO calls on the global community to increase access to these lifesaving medicines. The WHO guidelines will support health care providers caring for patients with Ebola, and policymakers involved in outbreak preparedness and response. The new guidance complements clinical care guidance that outlines the optimized supportive care Ebola patients should receive, from the relevant tests to administer, to managing pain, nutrition and co-infections, and other approaches that put the patient on the best path to recovery. More information is online.**NicaraguaOscar had asked me recently about Nicaragua, and I can say that the Secretary-General is very concerned by the severe closure of democratic and civic space in Nicaragua and recent actions against civil society organizations, including those of the Catholic Church. Reports of a raid against the residence of the Catholic bishop of Matagalpa only heightens these concerns. The Secretary-General reiterates his call to the Government of Nicaragua to ensure the protection of human rights of all citizens, particularly the universal rights of peaceful assembly, and to freedoms of association, thought, conscience, and religion, and to release all people arbitrarily detained.**World Humanitarian DayToday is World Humanitarian Day. In a message, the Secretary-General notes that far from the spotlight and out of the headlines, humanitarians work around the clock to make our world a better place. Against incredible odds, and often at great personal risk, he says, they ease suffering in some of the most dangerous circumstances imaginable. The Secretary-General notes that today, the number of people who need humanitarian assistance has never been higher, because of conflicts, climate change, COVID-19, poverty, hunger and unprecedented levels of displacement. On this year's World Humanitarian Day, he says, we celebrate humanitarians everywhere. We salute their dedication and courage and pay tribute to those who lost their lives in pursuit of this noble cause. They represent the best of humanity, the Secretary-General adds. As part of the day, we just had a wreath-laying ceremony to remember our colleagues and friends killed and injured in the attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad 19 years ago. Under-Secretary-Gen

SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIPThe Secretary-General arrived in Ulaanbaatar, today – the capital of Mongolia today. This is his second stop during this current trip. As you know, Mongolia is a nuclear weapon free zone, and has also been an important interlocutor of the United Nations in relation to the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The issue of the Peninsula will come up in discussions the Secretary-General will have on his current trip. He will then go to the Republic of Korea.Earlier today in Tokyo, the Secretary-General spoke to the media where he stressed that at a time when geopolitical tensions are rising and the nuclear threat is back in focus, nuclear-armed countries need to commit to “no first use” of nuclear weapons and must never use or threaten non-nuclear armed countries with the use of nuclear weapons.  He also said that he hoped that these requests will be taken seriously because we are witnessing a radicalization of the geopolitical situation that makes the risk of a nuclear war something we cannot completely forget.In addition, he urged Japan to take climate action by cutting emissions, stop funding coal plants abroad and partner with countries to help them transition to renewable energy.   And this afternoon, before leaving Tokyo, he met with Emperor Naruhito of Japan. You will have seen that on Saturday, he took part in the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima. In his message there the Secretary-General said his message to world leaders is simple: Stop flirting with disaster. Take the nuclear option off the table — for good.MIDDLE EAST The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, is continuing to closely follow implementation of last night's Ceasefire agreement and commitments, including the opening of Gaza for humanitarian assistance. He will be briefing the Security Council at 3:00 p.m. today on the ceasefire and developments related to the escalation. Deputy Special Coordinator, Lynn Hastings, entered Gaza this morning, leading the UN and humanitarian response on the ground. She has spent the day meeting with UN and humanitarian agencies, families affected by the escalation, and civil society groups, in order to begin assessing the damage and needs in the aftermath of the hostilities. Essential personnel of the UN Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) are working around the clock to monitor the situation and ensure critical service delivery. The electricity situation in Gaza is improving and rolling daily power cuts are expected to decline from 20 to 14 hours per day, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The World Food Programme (WFP) is set to distribute cash assistance to 5,000 people in need.Last night, the Secretary-General welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.  He is deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries, including children, from airstrikes in Gaza and the indiscriminate firing of rockets toward Israel from population centres in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups.   The Secretary-General calls on all sides to observe the ceasefire.  He reaffirms the United Nations' commitment to the achievement of the two-State solution based on relevant United Nations resolutions, international law, and prior agreements and the importance of restoring a political horizon.

[This show is produced in Somali only; English caption of the show context is down below] Maantana waxaan idiin soo gudbinaynaa qayb cusub oo ka mid ah Barnaamijka #Taakulo, oo ah mid aan idin kula socodsiino wararka iyo warbixinada ku saabsan shaqada qoyska QM ee Soomaaliya. Xalqadaan waxaan kaga hadli doonaa #AbaartaSoomaaliya iyo sida ay u saamaynayso carruurta Soomaaliya. Waxaa martida barnaamijka ka mid ah Peter Ekayu, oo ah Ku-xigeenka Madaxa Isku-duwidda Arrimaha Gargaarka QM ee Soomaaliya(OCHA) iyo Angela Kearney oo ah wakiil ka socda Hay'adda UNICEF. Wuxuu Mr. Ekayu ka hadlayaa taageerada ay QM siinayso bulshooyinka ku dhaqan gobolada ay abaartu saamaysay iyo sida guud ahaan hay'adaha gargaarku ay taageeradaas gacan uga gaysanayaan. Waxay Ms. Kearney sharaxaysaa kaalinta UNICEF ay ka qaadanayso caawinta carruurta iyo haweenka iyo sida beesha caalamku u taageerayso dadaalada looga hortagayo macluul iyo gaajo ka dhacda Soomaaliya. Waxaa barnaamijka idin soo gudbinaya Ali Gutale iyo Fathi Mohamed Waxaaad nala wadaagi kartaa fikirkaaga adoo soo wacaya raadiyaha aad jeceshahay: Radio Mogadishu (2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.) Radio Kulmiye KNN (2:30 p.m., 10:30) Radio Baidoa (2:30 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) SBC Radio (2:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m.) Radio Garowe (2:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) Radio Cadaado (2:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m.) Radio Risala (2:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) Radio Dalsan (2:30 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) Radio Hiranweyn (2:00 p.m., 8:15 p.m.) Radio Galgadud (3:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m.) Radio Kismaayo (2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.) Waxaad sdoo kale ka helikartaa Podcast qybtaan iyo qaybaha kaleba: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ke/podcast/tubta-nabaada-path-to-peace/id1373615264 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/tubta-nabaada-path-to-peace TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Podcasts/Tubta-Nabaada-Path-to-Peace-p1120872/ Si aad wax badan uga ogaato shaqada iyo warbixinada Howlgalka kaalmaynta QM ee Soomaaliya waxaad booqan kartaa: Website: https://unsom.unmissions.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UNSomalia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNSOMALIA Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unsom/ SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/unsom-somalia/... Vimeo: https://www.vimeo.com/unsom -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today we bring you a new episode of #Taakulo, the radio show that shares news and updates about the work of the United Nations family in Somalia. In this episode, we find out more about #DroughtinSomalia and how it is affecting the country's children. The show's guests include United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia Deputy Head Peter Ekayu, and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Somalia Angela Kearney. We hear from Mr. Ekayu about the UN family's work to support drought-affected communities in different regions of Somalia and what the humanitarian organisations are doing to assist them. Ms. Kearney explains UNICEF's role in helping malnourished children and women, and the international community's support to prevent famine and starvation in Somalia. The programme is presented in Somali by Ali Gutale and Fathi Mohamed. You can share your thoughts by calling in your favourite radio stations during the show today at: Radio Mogadishu (2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.) Radio Kulmiye KNN (2:30 p.m., 10:30) Radio Baidoa (2:30 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) SBC Radio (2:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m.) Radio Garowe (2:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) Radio Cadaado (2:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m.) Radio Risala (2:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) Radio Dalsan (2:30 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) Radio Hiranweyn (2:00 p.m., 8:15 p.m.) Radio Galgadud (3:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m.) Radio Kismaayo (2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.)

The unprecedented rise in people requiring humanitarian assistance will continue unless countries collaborate better to combat conflict, climate change and disease, including COVID-19. That's the firm belief of the UN's top aid official, Mark Lowcock, who leaves this week after four years heading its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He spoke in depth to UN News's Dianne Penn. Music credit: Ketsa, ‘Wounds'

The unprecedented rise in people requiring humanitarian assistance will continue unless countries collaborate better to combat conflict, climate change and disease, including COVID-19. That's the firm belief of the UN's top aid official, Mark Lowcock, who leaves this week after four years heading its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He spoke in depth to UN News's Dianne Penn.

Today we bring you a new episode of #Taakulo​, the radio magazine that shares with you news and updates about the work of the UN family in Somalia. In today’s episode we find out more about the work done in Somalia by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). We interview Erich Opolot Ogoso, OCHA Somalia Head of Communications, about the history of the organization in Somalia, their areas of intervention and collaboration with various humanitarian partners. He also talks about plans to provide in 2021 life-saving assistance and livelihood support to an estimated 4 million people affected by ongoing humanitarian crises, and what can be done to reduce the vulnerabilities to recurrent crises in Somalia. The program is presented by Ali Gutale and Fathi Mohamed. You will have the opportunity to react to the show and share your thoughts by calling in your favourite radio stations! Tune in today to Radio Mogadishu, Radio Kulmiye KNN, Radio Baidoa, SBC Radio, Radio Cadaado, Radio Risalah, Radio Dalsan, Radio Hiranweyn, Radio Galgadud and Radio Kismaayo. You can also get the podcast of this and other episodes of this show on iTunes (apple.co/2xbk78c), Stitcher (bit.ly/2x9djbd) and TuneIn (bit.ly/2kljcZJ).

How do practitioners use humanitarian diplomacy at the field level? What is requested of them in dealing with non-state armed groups, in particular? In the second episode of the Humanitarian Diplomacy podcast Doctoral Researcher Salla Turunen is accompanied by Ute Kollies, who has held various senior positions in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). As Head of Office she was deployed to Chad (2009-2012), Ivory Coast (2012-2014), Zimbabwe and Mali (2014-2020), and she also held the position of Deputy Head of Office in the Regional Office for West Africa upon its creation. Salla and Ute also discuss how gender plays a part in humanitarian diplomacy for both practitioners and stakeholders.

The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said nearly one million people are now known to have been affected by flooding in South Sudan. OCHA says an estimated 800,000 people who have been affected are in areas along the White Nile. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/newscast-africa/support

This week on #TubtaNabadda, we join the world in celebrating humanitarian heroes, as 2020 is the eleventh year that the World Humanitarian Day is marked on 19 August. We discuss with Tareq Talahma, Head of Somalia UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), about how the triple shocks of COVID-19, desert locusts and floods have disrupted Somalia’s social and economic life. He also talks about the humanitarian situation in Somalia in the foreseeable future, and what the UN is doing to support response interventions. We also interview Abdi Moge Mohamed, Executive Director of African Relief Development Initiative (ARDI), about the humanitarian interventions of his organizations and what motivates him to continue this demanding work. In the studio, your hosts are Ali Gutale and Faisa Abdi Warsame. You can listen to a poem by Alidek Mohamed Hashi, on the importance of helping those in need. Tune in today to Radio Mogadishu, Radio Kulmiye KNN, Radio Baidoa, SBC Radio, Radio Cadaado, Radio Risalah, Radio Dalsan, Radio Beletweyne, Radio Galgadud and Radio Kismaayo to be a part of it. Remember to call in and share your thoughts about the show, or leave us a comment below. In case you miss it on the radio, you can listen in here anytime. You can also get the podcast of this and other episodes of this show on iTunes (apple.co/2xbk78c), Stitcher (bit.ly/2x9djbd) and TuneIn (bit.ly/2kljcZJ).

The Crisis Connectivity Charter is a mechanism created between the satellite industry and the wider humanitarian community, which is designed to make satellite-based communications more readily available to humanitarians and affected communities thanks to pre-defined and pre-set solutions allowing immediate response at times of disaster.  The Charter was developed by the EMEA Satellite Operator’s Association (ESOA) and the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) and their members, in coordination with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), led by the World Food Programme (WFP).  When activated by the ETC, the Charter aims to foster more efficient cooperation between the satellite industry, local governments, non-government organizations (NGOs) and the broader humanitarian community in the initial stages of a disaster, allowing for better communication planning, increased connectivity and support for emergency responses. The Charter helps support increased coordination by prioritizing access to bandwidth for humanitarian purposes during disaster responses and by allocating pre-positioned satellite equipment and transmission capacity in high-risk countries. It also provides training and capacity building for the humanitarian community around the world. The Crisis Connectivity Charter will help ensure the ETC and its partners can better leverage satellite-based technology to provide life-saving connectivity to humanitarians and affected populations when disaster strikes.

This is the first in a series of special episodes of The Lid Is On, recorded during High-Level week of the General Assembly, and featuring some of the many experts, UN officials and politicians who filled UN Headquarters during late September 2018. Conor Lennon kicks off with a look at digital technology, and how it is being used to tackle some of the world's biggest problems, from climate change to disaster relief. This episode includes interviews with Claire Melamed, CEO of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD); Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Botswana's Minister for Investment, Trade and Industry; Rebecca Morgan, director of Google Earth; and Amanda Pitt and Stefania Tressari from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

It's exactly 25 years since the UN created a new international emergency response team to respond to disasters around the world. Officially known as the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination system (UNDAC) the team pools expertise from Member States, to rush to the aid of fellow Member States, hit by sudden-onset emergencies. On Monday, the different countries that fund UNDAC from all the continents of the world, met for their yearly-gathering in Geneva. The team is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and it was founded in 1993. Over the past 25 years, UNDAC has responded to more than 281 emergencies in over 100 countries; ranging from floods, to earthquakes and man-made disasters, borne out of conflict. For this podcast to mark the anniversary, UN News brought together four team members, who have always got an emergency bag packed by the door, and ready to go.    Music Credit:  No Need Sleep by Ketsa

The provision of life-saving assistance to people affected by armed conflict lies at the heart of humanitarian actors’ operations... and the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 lay down rules regulating humanitarian relief operations. Despite this, until recently, this area of international humanitarian law has received limited attention, possibly because challenges in implementing relief operations tend to be operational rather than legal in nature. In 2013, in response to the refusal of some belligerents to allow relief to reach people in extreme need, the United Nations Secretary-General requested the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to examine the relevant rules and consider options for guidance. In turn, OCHA commissioned the Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict at the University of Oxford to convene a series of consultation of legal experts. These led to the elaboration of the Oxford Guidelines on the Law Regulating Humanitarian Relief Operations in Situations of Armed Conflict: a document that restates existing law, and clarifies areas of uncertainty. It considers key elements of this area of law, including the question of whose consent is required to conduct relief operations; the circumstances in which withholding consent would be arbitrary; the rules on the implementation of relief operations; and the consequences of unlawful impeding of relief operations. The Guidance can be assessed at the following link: https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/content/oxford-guidance-law-relating-humanitarian-relief-operations-situations-armed-conflict

For those of you who've been listening to the show for a while, it is fairly obvious that there is, quite literally, a ton of data out there related to development initiatives and humanitarian assistance. If you had the time, money and desire, you could find data about almost any aspect assistance: things like baseline data about a population, damage assessments, geospatial data, demographics of the people affected by a crisis, or things like which organizations, governments and companies are on the ground helping. The problem is, in the humanitarian sector, organizations don't have the time, money and people power to hunt down this data. And, even more of a problem is the fact that the data is locked in spreadsheets on individual laptops, only captured in written notes or, unfortunately, kept hidden as a potential competitive advantage. Sarah Telford, my guest for the 129th episode of the Terms of Reference Podcast, is on a mission to change all of this. She is the Chief of Data Services at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and oversees the continuing development of a global open data platform called the Humanitarian Data Exchange. The goal of HDX is to make humanitarian data easy to find and use for analysis, and, as of July 2014, has been accessed by users in over 200 countries and territories.

Speakers: Oliver Lacey-Hall, Jagan Chapagain, Lilianne FanOn 12 June 2014, PHAP hosted a live online briefing and consultation for the World Humanitarian Summit on the topic of the consequences of a changing humanitarian landscape on humanitarian effectiveness in North and Southeast Asia. Speakers included Mr Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Mr Jagan Chapagain, Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific zone, and Ms Lilianne Fan, Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).This live online event was an opportunity for participants to get better acquainted with the regional consultation process and provide views and ideas on the topics discussed, ultimately helping to shape the agenda for the upcoming regional consultation event.Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-12Jun2014

Speakers: Jemilah Mahmood, Linda Poteat, Oliver Lacey-Hall, Paul EmpoleEvent date: 28 May 2015This live online event was an excellent opportunity for everyone interested to learn more about the World Humanitarian Summit, to take place in Istanbul in 2016, and the process leading up to this major global event. Participants learned about both the online and onsite consultation processes at the regional and global level, the main questions that will be discussed, how to provide input to the consultations, and how the results are meant to help humanitarian action move forward. Hosted by PHAP, this interactive information event featured Jemilah Mahmood, Chief of the World Humanitarian Summit Secretariat; Linda Poteat, Discussion Chair of the Online Global Consultations; Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); and Paul Empole, Discussion Chair of the Online West and Central Africa Consultations.The Summit, convened by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and managed by OCHA, will bring all interested humanitarian stakeholders together to set out a new course for how we collaborate in the vital effort to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and man-made crises around the world.Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-28May2015

On Thursday, 14 August, PHAP hosted a live online event to discuss the outcomes of the North & South East Asia regional consultation for the World Humanitarian Summit, which took place in Tokyo on 23-24 July.Panelists for the event included Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); Takeshi Komino, Head of Emergencies, Church World Service (CWS) and delegate of the Asian Disaster Response and Reduction Network (ADRRN); and Pansy Tun Thein, Executive Director of the Local Resource Centre (LRC) from Myanmar, representing local civil society organizations.Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-14Aug2014

Speakers: Carsten Völz, Cecilia Jimenez, Sebastian Rhodes StampaOn 19 June 2014, PHAP hosted an online event on the theme of humanitarian response in situations of armed conflict in North and Southeast Asia. The event dealt with regionally relevant issues such as population displacement, accountability of governments and aid organizations, access of people to humanitarian action, and protection of civilians. Speakers included Carsten Völz, Humanitarian Director of Oxfam International, Cecilia Jimenez, National Director of the IDP Project for the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, and Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, Deputy Head of the regional office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-19Jun2014

Speakers: Oliver Lacey-Hall, Jagan Chapagain, Lilianne FanOn 12 June 2014, PHAP hosted a live online briefing and consultation for the World Humanitarian Summit on the topic of the consequences of a changing humanitarian landscape on humanitarian effectiveness in North and Southeast Asia. Speakers included Mr Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Mr Jagan Chapagain, Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific zone, and Ms Lilianne Fan, Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).This live online event was an opportunity for participants to get better acquainted with the regional consultation process and provide views and ideas on the topics discussed, ultimately helping to shape the agenda for the upcoming regional consultation event.Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-12Jun2014

Speakers: Jemilah Mahmood, Linda Poteat, Oliver Lacey-Hall, Paul EmpoleEvent date: 28 May 2015This live online event was an excellent opportunity for everyone interested to learn more about the World Humanitarian Summit, to take place in Istanbul in 2016, and the process leading up to this major global event. Participants learned about both the online and onsite consultation processes at the regional and global level, the main questions that will be discussed, how to provide input to the consultations, and how the results are meant to help humanitarian action move forward. Hosted by PHAP, this interactive information event featured Jemilah Mahmood, Chief of the World Humanitarian Summit Secretariat; Linda Poteat, Discussion Chair of the Online Global Consultations; Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); and Paul Empole, Discussion Chair of the Online West and Central Africa Consultations.The Summit, convened by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and managed by OCHA, will bring all interested humanitarian stakeholders together to set out a new course for how we collaborate in the vital effort to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and man-made crises around the world.Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-28May2015

Speakers: Carsten Völz, Cecilia Jimenez, Sebastian Rhodes StampaOn 19 June 2014, PHAP hosted an online event on the theme of humanitarian response in situations of armed conflict in North and Southeast Asia. The event dealt with regionally relevant issues such as population displacement, accountability of governments and aid organizations, access of people to humanitarian action, and protection of civilians. Speakers included Carsten Völz, Humanitarian Director of Oxfam International, Cecilia Jimenez, National Director of the IDP Project for the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, and Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, Deputy Head of the regional office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-19Jun2014

On Thursday, 14 August, PHAP hosted a live online event to discuss the outcomes of the North & South East Asia regional consultation for the World Humanitarian Summit, which took place in Tokyo on 23-24 July.Panelists for the event included Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); Takeshi Komino, Head of Emergencies, Church World Service (CWS) and delegate of the Asian Disaster Response and Reduction Network (ADRRN); and Pansy Tun Thein, Executive Director of the Local Resource Centre (LRC) from Myanmar, representing local civil society organizations.Read more at https://phap.org/WHS-14Aug2014