3 October 2017
UN Focuses Post-Disaster Efforts in the Caribbean on Early Warning, Preparedness
UN Photo/Logan Abassi
story highlights

UN Environment underscored that understanding the role of the environment in humanitarian crises is “critical to reversing the upward trend in the number of people affected by disaster”.

UNDP is providing Barbuda and Cuba with technical support to build back better.

WMO has signed a contract with Météo France International to help develop the capacity of Haiti’s national meteorological and hydrological service.

2 October 2017: In the wake of the multiple disasters brought by the month of September, UN agencies have centered their efforts around improving early warning systems, meteorological and hydrological services, disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and risk reduction.

In a story on placing the environment at the heart of humanitarian response, UN Environment (UNEP) underscores that understanding the role of the environment in humanitarian crises is “critical to reversing the upward trend in the number of people affected by disaster.” [UNEP Story]

As part of a UN-wide humanitarian development strategy, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is providing Barbuda and Cuba with technical support to build back better. In Barbuda, UNDP’s contribution includes dealing with hazardous medical waste, recycling and landfill management. In Cuba, UNDP is supporting the recovery of over 215,000 houses severely damaged by Hurricane Irma. It is also helping the country enhance its early warning systems, and has injected US$700,000 to help Cuba rebuild. [UNDP Press Release]

UNITAR will support the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in developing thematic training courses and implementing a learning strategy focusing on community resilience.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has signed a contract with Météo France International to help develop the capacity of Haiti’s national meteorological and hydrological service, with an emphasis on strengthening predictive capacity, ensuring the quality of aviation meteorological services and improving the observation network. [WMO Press Release]

The Operational Satellite Applications Programme of the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR-UNOSAT) has signed an agreement with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to reduce the effects of disasters worldwide through improved preparedness, response, recovery and risk reduction. UNITAR will, inter alia, support the IFRC in developing thematic training courses and implementing a learning strategy focusing on community resilience. [UNITAR Press Release]

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