Our Perspective

      • Drought is Life or Death Issue in Horn Of Africa

        13 Jul 2011

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        An estimated 3,000 people a day are arriving in Kenya and Ethiopia from Somalia seeking help. Photo: UN Photo

        According to the latest reports by the World Food Programme, some 10 million people are affected by the Horn of Africa's worst drought in 60 years.  An estimated 3,000 people a day are arriving in Kenya and Ethiopia from Somalia seeking help.  People are arriving in a very weak condition and it is very distressing to hear of the fatalities this severe hardship is causing.   Mark Bowden, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, has just been to Mogadishu and also to the refugee camp at Dollo in Ethiopia – both places where drought victims are heading.  UNHCR chief, Antonio Guterres, has also been to the Somali refugee camps and called for urgent help for the drought victims. My overwhelming concern right now is that people are dying because of the drought, particularly those who must leave their land and their homes to walk long distances, in a weakened condition, to try to find food and water.  Many Somalis are crossing borders to do that.  Sheer survival is a battle for many families right now. Looking ahead, more support is needed to develop drought-resistant agriculture and small holder farming in the areas affected.  As there has been insufficient support for this Read More

      • People empowering people

        23 Jun 2011

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        Volunteer teachers combat illiteracy in Burkina Faso. Photo: UNV

        Today marks the occasion of the United Nations Public Service Day, intended to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community and a chance to highlight the contribution of public service to international development. The work of public servants the world over deserves recognition as making a critical contribution to the development process. We thought we’d take the opportunity to focus on the thousands of volunteers worldwide whose support captures the civic and community spirit at the heart of our efforts to build empowered lives and resilient nations. Through volunteerism, people participate in the development of their own communities and their own countries. In this way volunteerism directly empowers lives, builds local ownership and fortifies communities and governments. Strategies supported by community-level action can help tackle development challenges. For example, in Nepal, UN Volunteers offer support to the Female Community Health Volunteer (FCHV) programme, through which around 50,000 women volunteers are improving maternal health in rural areas. National volunteers can also bring valuable knowledge of the local context, allowing development partners to reach out to communities and strengthen their ability to become active players in addressing the challenges they face.  At the broadest level, volunteering is an opportunity Read More

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The Speakers Corner helps connect think tanks, academia, the media and the public to a diverse group of experts who can speak to UNDP’s commitment to “empower lives” and build "resilient nations.”

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