The United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Natalia Kanem, has said Africa faces daunting humanitarian crises with millions of lives at stake.
He made this known during the Extraordinary African Union (AU) Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference, alongside with Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, Martin Griffiths, and other top-ranking UN officials to address the Heads of State and Government, high-level government officials and ministers in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
“Let us invest in humanitarian response, peace and sustainable development and prioritise the needs and rights of women and girls to unleash greater progress.
Dr. Kanem stated that the Extraordinary AU Humanitarian Summit will address Africa’s current humanitarian challenges, exacerbated by the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts and disasters across the continent.
He is expected to take the opportunity alongside other international development and humanitarian partners to commit support to the expected new AU Humanitarian Agency.
He said the conference will explore innovative solutions to existing and emerging health and humanitarian challenges on the continent.
Dr. Kanem reiterated that side-events will provide opportunities to reflect on pertinent issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing humanitarian needs, climate change, violent conflicts, poverty, food insecurity and political instability causing rising suffering, death and displacement.
