By Mónica Centrón, Isabella Camargo and Bibbi Abruzzini
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, Jul 29 2024 – In a move that has aroused national and international concern, the Paraguayan Senate has given preliminary approval to a controversial bill that imposes strict controls on NGOs in a case of ‘bureaucratic criminalisation’.

The landscape has become increasingly hostile to the activities of civil society organisations, with several laws representing a rollback of historically defended fundamental rights.

‘Additional bureaucratic hurdles”: the effects of new legislation

Non-profit organisations in the country have to deal with a variety of formalities and ongoing procedures before various public bodies. The proposed legislation, promoted by the ruling Colorado Party, now introduces additional registrations for all NGOs and strict reporting requirements. Under the pretext of improving transparency and accountability, the legislation represents a significant threat to democracy and the operational freedom of civil society in Paraguay.

Controversial elements of the bill include a new mandatory registration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance – which would be the law’s implementing authority – for all organisations receiving public or private funds of national or international origin, detailed reporting of all activities, detailed semi-annual financial reports, and severe penalties for non-compliance, including heavy fines and the possibility of dissolution of NGOs. Critics argue that these ‘legal-political arrangements’ are disproportionate and serve more to intimidate and control NGOs than to promote real accountability.

March for rights in Asunción, capital of Paraguay. Credit Patricia López

What civil society says

The passage of this bill comes in a broader context of growing authoritarianism in Paraguay. Since the 2023 elections, there have been several concerns about the ruling party’s consolidation of power and its impact on democratic institutions. The media, opposition parties and civil society organisations have faced increasing pressures, raising fears of a regression to the authoritarian practices of the past.

Monica Centron, Executive Coordinator of the national NGO platform, POJOAJU, emphasises the broader implications of such legislation for democracy: ‘This law threatens the fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution. It undermines the role of civil society in holding government accountable and promoting social justice. NGOs promote transparency and accountability, we have legislation that obliges us to account for our actions such as the Civil Code, reports to Seprelad (Secretariat for the Prevention of Money or Asset Laundering), the Treasury Attorney’s Office, banks, the National Directorate of Tax Revenue, among others’.

Raúl Monte Domecq, from POJOAJU’s coordination team, highlighted the possible adverse effects for smaller NGOs: ‘The administrative burdens and the threat of severe sanctions could lead many smaller organisations to close down. This will have a devastating impact on the communities they serve, particularly the most vulnerable’.

‘It must be understood that we have adopted for our Republic a Social State of Law and as a form of government representative, participatory and pluralist democracy, as enshrined in the National Constitution. The paths of dialogue and consultation, and not the opposite, are necessary requirements for the strengthening of our still incipient process of democratisation,’ says Gladys Casaccia, also a member of the POJOAJU Coordination team.

A threat to democratic principles

The bill has faced strong opposition from various sectors, including religious leaders, civil society organisations and international human rights bodies.

Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, said the bill would ‘impose substantial restrictions on NGO funding’ and ‘obstruct the exercise of freedoms of association and expression’.

Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas director, said that ‘this bill subjects civil society organisations to arbitrary and abusive state control, without giving them the opportunity to defend themselves. It puts human rights defenders and the communities they serve at significant risk’.

Just a few days ago, several UN Special Rapporteurs have joined forces to communicate to the government of Paraguay their concern about the possible approval of the Draft Law on the Control of Non-Profit Organisations.

Cardinal Adalberto Martinez, has urged the Senate to delay the bill, which will be discussed in less than 2 weeks from now, and initiate a dialogue with the affected sectors. ‘This bill could have serious consequences for our representative, participatory and pluralistic democratic system,’ he warned, emphasising the need for inclusive discussions.

This legislative measure also follows a worrying trend observed in other countries where governments have introduced restrictive laws to curb the influence and operations of civil society. By limiting access to international funding and imposing strict oversight, these laws effectively weaken civil society’s ability to operate independently and advocate for human rights and democratic governance.

Call for action

In light of these developments, POJOAJU and other civil society organisations call for urgent action:

• Postponement and dialogue: they urge the government to halt the legislative process and engage in meaningful consultations with civil society to review the draft law.
• Protection of rights: They demand that any new regulatory framework respect constitutional rights and international human rights standards, ensuring that it promotes genuine transparency without undermining the independence of civil society.
• International solidarity: Civil society and governments are also being urged to call for dialogue with the Paraguayan government to reconsider this draft law in law. The stakes are high, not only for Paraguay, but also for the precedent it could set in the region.

Mónica Centrón, POJOAJU, Isabella Camargo and Bibbi Abruzzini, Forus

This article is written by the Forus network in partnership with POJOAJU. For more on the “bureocratic criminalisation” of civil society, consult Abong’s report detailing the context in Brazil under Bolsanaro’s presidency here.

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By Jeffrey Moyo
HARARE, Jul 29 2024 – Earlier this year, then 46-year-old Lydia Musundiwa, based in the Zimbabwean capital Harare, was diagnosed with colon cancer, which, already at an advanced stage, killed her in less than two months.

Now, Landeni, her 49-year-old widower, has to contend with the burden of looking after their three children single-handedly.

In Zimbabwe, a lack of cancer awareness and radiotherapy treatment is problematic, as cancer is only picked up in the late stages.

Based on the Global Cancer Observatory data, four years ago, Zimbabwe reported 16,083 new cases of cancer and 10,676 deaths due to the disease.

On X, formerly Twitter, Hopewell Chin’ono, a renowned Zimbabwean freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker with thousands of followers on his handle, has gone on record protesting the ravages of cancer in the Southern African nation, which he calls a “carefree” regime.

“Zimbabwe doesn’t have a single working radiotherapy cancer treatment machine. If you get cancer in Zimbabwe today, it’s a death sentence. You will die,” Chin’ono said.

The Zimbabwean government last year came out in the state media claiming it had purchased new, advanced radiotherapy machines used to treat cancer.

However, appearing before the country’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care last year in March, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Jasper Chimedza, said the country had only a single functional radiotherapy machine to service all the country’s cancer patients.

As a result, many Zimbabweans, like Lydia, have had the disease detected at an advanced stage, resulting in a painful demise.

Unable to afford private healthcare, Zimbabwe’s cancer patients, both young and old, very often die without treatment.

One such young patient is 22-year-old Tangai Chaurura, who suffers from liver cancer and, doctors told him the cancer is already at stage four. His brother, Mevion, says Chaurura is now only receiving home-based care.

“We are just waiting for his final day. We can’t lie to ourselves that he will live given his dire condition now unless a miracle happens,” Chaurura’s brother, Mevion, told IPS.

There are no recorded statistics for the young people battling cancer in this Southern African nation, but the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry’s latest statistics show that 7,841 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2018.

Then, the majority of the cancers recorded were cervical cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer.

However, the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe says that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence.

“There are quite a number of myths and misconceptions about cancer and that is one of the reasons why people think that having cancer is actually a death sentence, but at the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe, we know that is not true,” the association’s information research and evaluation officer, Lovemore Makurirofa, told IPS.

Makurirofa said cancers were increasing every year in Zimbabwe and these, to him, were officially recorded cases at public hospitals, with many other cancer cases going unnoticed.

As cancer ravages many in Zimbabwe, Makurirofa said the answer lies in “leading a healthy lifestyle where people have a good diet and exercise.”

A Zimbabwean government health official said many people were succumbing to cancer because of the late detection of the disease.

Last year, in Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya and Zimbabwe, the World Health Organization launched an initiative to support better access to breast and cervical cancer detection, treatment and care services.

Then, remarking at the initiative, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: “Early detection is a key contributor to better cancer treatment outcomes. With this approach, we aim to bolster the role of primary health care services to help avert the excess mortality of African women from preventable cancers.”

The WHO, however, says that limited access to early detection, diagnosis, and treatment services, as well as a lack of awareness of the disease, have made early detection difficult throughout Africa and Zimbabwe in particular.

With Zimbabwe not spared, based on the 2018 Global Survey of Clinical Oncology Workforce, a single oncologist provides care for between 500 and 1000 patients across many African countries, which is up to four times the International Atomic Energy Agency recommendation of 200 to 250 patients per oncologist.

Zimbabwean cancer activists like Bakie Padzaronda, based in New Jersey in the USA, have said cancer treatment in Zimbabwe is on the expensive side, making it unaffordable for many.

“Medication and treatment must not be as punitive as they are today. It needs to be affordable and we expect the government to look into this seriously by subsidizing the costs of treatment. Hospitals must be equipped with proper and modern medical equipment,” Padzaronda told IPS.

But as cancer cases keep rising in Zimbabwe, cancer experts like Michelle Madzudzo have said the country’s growing aging population and urbanization contribute to the disease.

“The rise in cancer cases can be attributed to aging populations, urbanization and changes in lifestyle,” Madzudzo told IPS. “In our country, cancer mortality rates are high due to various factors, which include late detection and diagnosis.”

Founder and president of Talk Cancer Zimbabwe, an organization whose mandate is to help improve cancer awareness, Madzudzo is a Zimbabwean radiation therapist.

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By Robert Jenkins and Kevin Frey
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 29 2024 – Around the world, young people are driving change to ensure our youngest learners get the best start in life.

In rural Kenya, Aisha, a young female entrepreneur trained through a UNICEF-supported programme, has started her own Early Childhood Education (ECE) centre. This centre provides quality early learning to over 50 children and creates jobs for other young women as teachers and support staff.

The impact of Aisha’s work is profound: more children are ready for school, and more young women in her community are economically empowered.

More than 4,000 miles away, in a densely populated informal settlement in Dhaka, Rahim, a young entrepreneur, demonstrates that entrepreneurship and early childhood education are opportunities for all youth to participate in.

Using training and seed funding from UNICEF he has established an early childhood education centre, offering flexible hours and affordable fees. His centre has become an invaluable resource for working parents looking for quality early learning for their children while also employing young people from the local community.

Through the efforts of young people like Aisha and Rahim, a brighter future is being forged for the world’s children, one young entrepreneur at a time.

Right now, more than half of the world’s youngest learners — 175 million children — lack access to early childhood education.

Addressing gaps in early childhood education can enhance school readiness and help combat the persistent cycle of low achievement and high dropout rates that affect children who fall behind in these formative years — a pattern of underachievement which follows children into adulthood.

Youth-led entrepreneurial initiatives offering early learning services can be a game changer in addressing these gaps.

Mobilizing the power of youth to expand early childhood care and education services not only addresses the critical gaps in education access but also showcases the tremendous impact of investing in initiatives that could transform the future of 267 million young people globally, who are not in employment, education, or training.

Skilling young men and women as providers of early childhood services generates livelihood options and decent jobs for educated youth. With expanded early childhood education, young parents can also pursue their own education and career goals.

Young entrepreneurs bring fresh perspectives, energy, and a deep understanding of the local context, making them well-positioned to drive improvements in early learning services. With the right training and support, they can create sustainable solutions to specific needs and become vital pillars and champions of early childhood education in their communities – building a brighter tomorrow, with innovative solutions today!

Skilling for Success

UNICEF and Generation Unlimited are dedicated to empowering young entrepreneurs with comprehensive skills and scaling the establishment of high-quality early learning centres. Initiatives such as the UNICEF’s Venture Fund and Innovation Challenge, and Generation Unlimited’s imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge have been effective in building young people’s life skills as well as a blend of entrepreneurial, management and financial skills required to establish and run a successful enterprise.

When these skills are combined with further training on play-based learning and parental engagement strategies, young entrepreneurs can ensure their early childhood education services follow age-appropriate learning strategies and effectively engage parents in the learning process, thereby bolstering enrollment and caregiver involvement in school activities, events, and projects.

Numerous success stories exemplify the transformative impact of these programmes. In South Africa, UNICEF and Generation Unlimited have partnered with the University of Pretoria, and Price Waterhouse Coopers to establish the Mamelodi Business Hub, training young South Africans in micro-business management and financial literacy.

Young entrepreneurs from this initiative have founded the Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori project to expand access to early childhood education and care in rural areas. Applying a similar approach in a humanitarian context, UNICEF partnered with the Government of Jordan to train young people in Za’atari refugee camp to deliver early learning and psychosocial services in Makani centres.

On World Youth Skills Day, (which is commemorated annually on July 15), let us commit to supporting young people in creating innovative, sustainable solutions for early childhood education. To do this, we must fuel innovations that empower youth with the appropriate skills, support and resources to establish and run high quality services.

Education decision-makers, investors, and governments must adopt supportive strategies, including developing youth-friendly policy frameworks, providing accredited training and mentorship, offering financial support, and fostering networks and partnerships to create a robust support system for young entrepreneurs.

Together, we can build a brighter tomorrow for children, families, and communities worldwide by empowering educated young girls and boys to be the early childhood champions and changemakers of today.

Robert Jenkins is the Global Director, Education and Adolescent Development, UNICEF; Kevin Frey is the CEO of Generation Unlimited

Source: UNICEF

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By IPS Correspondent
KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 29 2024 – With projections that by 2060, over 1.2 billion people in Asia will be 65 or older, and by adopting technology, including artificial intelligence technologies, it is possible to plan for active and fulfilled aging, lawmakers attending a regional meeting on Aging Preparedness and Care Economy in Asia heard.

The meeting, convened by the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) Malaysia, looked at several aspects of aging, including the use of technology, digital health solutions and assistive technologies, all aimed at ensuring that governments have policy and finance in place to ensure the aging population is sufficiently catered for.

Hon. Dato’ Hjh Mumtaz Md Nawi, an MP from Malaysia, succinctly explained the repercussions of this population trend.

“The implications of this aging trend are profound, affecting everything from labour markets to healthcare systems. The increase in the older population will require substantial investments in healthcare infrastructure and long-term care services.”

For parliamentarians, this means enacting policies that support lifelong education, employment among older people, and gender equality, which will become increasingly necessary to maximize older people’s economic contributions while minimizing the risks associated with aging.

Hon. Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, an MP from Malaysia, was concerned about the impact of aging on women. Credit: APDA

The President of AFPPD in Malaysia, Hon. Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, reminded the audience that aging would impact women differently than men, especially as they have a longer life expectancy and currently constitute 61 percent of the population aged 80 and above.

“Even though they have a higher life expectancy than men, older women are often subjected to the compounded effect of ageism and gender discrimination, prevalent in both the social system and the workplace. Ageism refers to the systematic prejudices and discrimination experienced by older individuals,” Linggi noted.

Women frequently had to retire earlier, while men were able to advance in their careers well into their 60s.

“China serves as a case in point, enforcing a 10-year gender disparity by requiring women working in civil services to retire at age 50, while allowing men to retire at age 60. Likewise, Vietnam also practices similar regulation but with a five-year gap.”

This ageism unfairly limits “women’s opportunities for career development, resulting in inequitable treatment and compensation.”

Linggi urged the lawmakers to dismantle the barriers of ageism and ensure that social protections include women, especially those in the informal sector, to alleviate poverty and vulnerability, mitigate risk exposure, and enhance the ability of workers to safeguard themselves against income loss and give them equitable access to healthcare services.

He noted that Malaysia’s Self-Employed Scheme (SPS) initiative in Budget 2024 aims to offer comprehensive social protection coverage, targeting women engaging in informal sector jobs. The scheme entitles them to access to a range of benefits, including medical coverage and compensation for temporary and permanent disabilities resulting from work-related injuries.

Malaysia’s parliamentary speaker H.E. Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Johari Bin Abdul reiterated lawmakers challenges for an aging population and care populations saying that was imperative to invest in and strengthen social protection programmes and health-care services; establish sustainable financing mechanisms for the elderly; upgrade the skills of the working-age population and create productive and decent jobs for older persons; and invest in research and innovation to develop new technologies and solutions that improve the quality of life for older persons, enabling them to live independently longer; while recognizing the significance of care work, value unpaid care work and promote shared responsibility within the framework of a care economy.

“As parliamentarians, we hold a crucial responsibility in formulating and executing policies that cater to the needs of the elderly. We can lead the development of inclusive policies, propose and endorse legislation to safeguard the rights and well-being of older people, and serve as advocates to increase public awareness. Additionally, parliamentarians can oversee the implementation of policies and programs, ensuring government agencies deliver effective services for the elderly community and holding them accountable when necessary. In conclusion, let us unite to face these challenges with bravery, empathy and foresight.”

Hon. Dr. Hajah Halimah Ali, MP Malaysia, said while technology is often associated with the youth, it also offers opportunities to enhance the lives of the elderly.

“Consequently, the term ‘Gerontechnology’—a technology designed to address the specific needs of the elderly—has gained worldwide recognition and should be central to any policies concerning the elderly and technology.”

Ali noted that Japan and South Korea were making strides to transform elderly care, including addressing social isolation and loneliness.

For instance, in Japan, the development of robotic caregivers such as the PARO therapeutic robot has demonstrated substantial benefits in providing companionship and reducing stress among elderly patients. “These robotic pets, which learn from interactions, recognize faces and respond with affection, have become highly popular with seniors.”

In South Korea, AI technology has been integrated into care facilities.

“AI systems can detect falls, monitor sleep patterns, and alert caregivers to any unusual behavior, thus enhancing safety and response times. For instance, a robot can keep company with an elderly person living alone and call emergency services when necessary. In nursing homes, robots assist elderly patients with daily tasks such as defecation and cleaning assistance.”

And on a lighter note, an AI robot could even “play Go with bored elderly patients,” Ali said, adding that this was not a “distant future scenario but a reality in the smart care services of Seoul, as announced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as part of their plans for elderly care services.”

Senator Hon. Datuk Wira Dr. Hatta Bin MD Ramli agreed, adding that AI-powered devices and wearables play a crucial role in health monitoring and telemedicine as they are capable of “analyzing individual preferences, health conditions, and daily routines, enabling personalized care and assistance.”

Another advantage is that AI-powered sensors and smart devices can detect falls, unusual movements, or emergencies, promptly alerting caregivers or emergency services. AI-driven medication management systems assist older adults in organizing their medications, setting reminders for doses, and monitoring adherence to prescribed regimens.

Data analytics and predictive modeling driven by AI can identify trends, forecast health outcomes, and optimize care delivery for older adults.

Hon. Howard Lee Chuan How, Vice President of AFPPD Malaysia, highlighted that the meeting aimed to establish a collaborative framework for sharing best practices. Credit: APDA

Serving as a facilitator and session chair throughout the meeting, Hon. Howard Lee Chuan How, Vice President of AFPPD Malaysia, highlighted that the meeting aimed to establish a collaborative framework for sharing best practices and enhance international cooperation to improve policies and programs that support aging populations. He explained that while each country faces unique challenges, it is crucial to harmonize policies across the region for a unified approach to address common issues so that the countries are well-prepared to meet the challenges posed by demographic shifts.

“By leveraging our shared knowledge and resources, we will reinforce our collective commitment to building a future where our elderly are valued, cared for, and supported,” he said.

Note: The Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) in Malaysia organized the meeting. It was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

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By Mario Osava
BELÉM, Brazil, Jul 28 2024 – The decade-and-a-half-long battle for life in the so-called Volta Grande (Big Bend) of the Xingu river, a stretch of the river dewatered by the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant in the Brazilian Amazon, has a possible solution, albeit a partial one.

The mega power project divided the waters of the Xingu. It has taken up most of the river and emptied the now 130-kilometre U-shaped Reduced Flow Stretch (TVR, in Portuguese), whose banks are home to two indigenous groups and a community, all affected by the depletion of fish, the basis of their livelihood.“We have become illiterate about the river, and the fish. We no longer know how to read what is happening in the river”: river dweller.

A proposal drawn up by these villagers and scientific researchers makes it possible to recover the minimum conditions for the reproduction of fish, which have declined since the plant began operations in 2016. The goal is to mitigate the project’s negative impacts on the people living in the area.

But Norte Energía, the concessionaire of Belo Monte, estimates that this alternative would cost it a 39% reduction in its electricity generation. The dilemma pits the vital needs of the riverside population against the company’s economic feasibility.

Belo Monte, 700 kilometres southwest of Belém, is one of major power and logistics projects that abounded in Latin America in the first two decades of this century. It is the third largest hydroelectric plant in the world, with a capacity of 11,233 megawatts and an expected effective generation of only 40% on average.

Josiel Juruna, speaking at a July meeting of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science, in the city of Belém, in the Brazilian Amazon. Credit: Mario Osava / IPS

The Xingu river in the eastern Amazon region attracted energy interest because of its average flow of 7,966 cubic metres per second and the gradient that allowed Belo Monte to have its main power plant with a water fall of 87 metres.

But its flow has excessive variations, with floods 20 times higher than its low water level. With less than 1,000 cubic metres per second in low water, it lowers the plant’s average annual generation.

To prevent the flooding of the Volta Grande of the Xingu (VGX) and, within it, of the two indigenous lands of the Juruna and Arara peoples, a canal was built to connect the two points of the curve, diverting about 70% of the river’s waters and draining the life out of the curved section.

A sarobal, an island of stones and sand, prone to flooding in the Vuelta Grande of Xingu, in Brazil’s eastern Amazon. It used to be a fish breeding site, but lost that function due to the water shortage caused by the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant, which diverted 70% of the river’s water into a channel used for power generation. Credit: Mati / VGX

The power plant and the ecosystem’s disruption

In addition to taking away water, the project disrupted the environment, especially water cycles, and thus human, animal and plant life. “We have become illiterate about the river, and the fish. We no longer know how to read what is happening in the river,” said a river dweller at a hearing organised by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in August 2022.

Piracema, the upstream migration of shoals of fish during spawning, is vital to sustain livelihoods in the VGX, stresses Josiel Juruna, local coordinator of the Independent Territorial Environmental Monitoring (Mati).

Belo Monte deteriorated the quality of life of river dwellers by making piracema unviable.

That is why Mati, led by some 30 university scientists and local researchers, prioritised the monitoring and recovery of the piracema, understood as a site for procreation, apart from monitoring and measuring other ecological aspects in the stretch most affected by the hydroelectric plant.

An Independent Environmental and Territorial Monitoring team observes critical points in the low-flow section of the Xingu river, whose waters have been diverted to the canal that feeds the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant in the Brazilian Amazon. Credit: Courtesy of Juarez Pezzuti

As a result of their participatory research, launched in 2014 by the Juruna people and the non-governmental Instituto Socioambiental, in 2022 Mati presented to environmental authorities the Piracema Hydrograph, which indicates the flow necessary for the reproduction of fish in the VGX.

This is an alternative to hydrographs A and B, which govern the flow of water that Belo Monte releases to the VGX, in defined quantities for each month, to meet the conditions agreed for the operation of the hydroelectric plant. They are also called Consensus hydrographs, applied according to different pluviometric conditions.

These flows were defined in the environmental impact studies carried out by specialised companies, but paid for by Norte Energía, to obtain the license for the construction and operation of the plant.

A sample of the hydrographs that should govern the amount of water destined each month to the Vuelta Grande of the Xingu river to sustain its ecological functions. In purple and with flow figures for each month, the hydrograph proposed by indigenous people, riverside dwellers and scientific researchers to recover the lower and more productive piracemas. Credit: Mati / VGX

Piracema, key to river life

Indigenous people have always disagreed with these hydrographs because they do not ensure the necessary flow for maintaining the ecosystem, which is indispensable for the fish, the basis of their diet and the income they obtain from the sale of surplus fish.

It releases insufficient water at inappropriate times, ignoring the dynamics of the piracema, according to Juruna.

“The Belo Monte hydrograph only allows flooding in April, but the piracema requires lots of water between January and March, so that it fills the sarobal and igapós, where the female fish arrive to spawn and then the males for fertilisation,” he told IPS in Belém.

The word sarobal in Brazil defines an island of stone and sand, flooded and with vegetation of grasses and shrubs that provide food for the fish. Igapó is also a flooded area of banks and small waterways, with trees and vegetation that produce fruit and other foodstuffs.

Without water, the fish do not have access to their breeding grounds or to the fruits, which fall on the dry ground. Juruna often shows a video of a curimatá, a fish abundant in the Xingu, with dried eggs in its belly. It “couldn’t spawn” because there was no water in the piracema at the right time, he explained.

Apart from more water, the Piracema Hydrograph requires bringing forward the release of more water for the Vuelta Grande by at least three months. And maintaining the flood for a few months is also indispensable to feed the fish with the fruits falling in the water and not on the ground.

In fact, it is necessary to increase the flow of the VGX with ‘new water’ from November onwards, so that the fish start to migrate. “Without the right amount of water at the right time, there is no piracema”, the basis of river life, stresses a Mati report.

Fish killed by a fall in water flow in the Xingu river’s Vuelta Grande. Credit: Mati / VGX

Irrecoverable way of life

The Piracema Hydrograph will not restore the former way of life in the Vuelta Grande. That would require restoring past conditions, without the hydroelectric plant, admitted Juruna. His goal is to rehabilitate “the lower piracemas”, i.e. the sarobals and the floodable igapós with a little more water than what Belo Monte releases.

“The higher piracemas will no longer exist,” he lamented.

There will be no fish as before, the Juruna have already become farmers and mainly cultivate cocoa. A recovery of the piracemas will allow them to fish for their own food, but hardly for sale and income, he said.

Community life has declined among the indigenous people, who increasingly feed themselves on ‘city products’ and move more and more to Altamira, a city 50 kilometres away from the indigenous land of Paquiçamba, where the Jurunas live.

With Belo Monte, a road to the city was built and motorbikes have multiplied in the indigenous village, Juruna observed. Their way of life has been profoundly altered, but the indigenous people are resisting the death of their river and the Mati have added their traditional knowledge to scientific research.

Biologist Juarez Pezzuti, a professor at the Federal University of Pará, based in Belém, and a member of Mati, believes it necessary to dispel the idea of Belo Monte and other hydroelectric plants, especially those in the Amazon, as sources of sustainable energy.

“They emit greenhouse gases in a similar proportion to fossil-fuel thermoelectric plants,” he told IPS. In addition to flooding vegetation when the reservoir is formed, they continue to do so afterwards, because as their waters recede, the vegetation that will later be flooded is renewed.

Their downstream impacts are only now beginning to be studied. In the Amazon, they dry up the igapós, as has already been seen in the Balbina power plant near Manaus, capital of the neighbouring state of Amazonas.

It is a technology in decline, whose social, environmental and climatic costs tend to be better recognised and call into question its benefits, he concluded.

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 26 2024 – “The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures,” says the UN Secretary-General as he launches a call to action on extreme heat and its impact on society and the environment.

On Thursday, Secretary-General António Guterres announced the launch of a joint report drawing from the expertise of ten UN organizations, including UNICEF, ILO, OCHA and WHO. The Call for Action on Extreme Heat explores the multidimensional impact of extreme heat on lives and livelihoods, which is only further evidence of the climate crisis.

The UN’s call for action targets four key areas in the efforts to combat extreme heat: providing care to those most vulnerable, protecting workers, boosting the resilience of economies and societies through data and science, investing in renewable energy and phasing out fossil fuels, thereby limiting the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius under the Paris Agreement.

Secretary-General António Guterres briefs reporters on extreme heat. Credit: UN photo

June 2024 was the 13th consecutive hottest month on record. Experts have warned that the consecutive record-setting global temperatures are indicative that average temperatures will only rise in the coming years, and some areas will even become inhabitable as people will be physically unable to withstand the heat. In the report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that Central and South America, southern Europe, Southern and Southeast Asia, and Africa will be the most affected by heat-related mortality by 2100.

“Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic, wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world. That’s 122 degrees Fahrenheit. And halfway to boiling,” Guterres said. He emphasized this point by referencing recent global incidents, such as a heatwave in Sahel this April and the deaths of more than 1300 pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during this year’s Hajj.

So far, the impact of extreme heat has been felt across livelihoods and the environment. However, it does not affect everyone equally. Multiple factors, such as gender, age, and pre-existing medical conditions, can determine the impact. For this reason, those most vulnerable to the impact of extreme temperatures include older people, people living with disabilities, pregnant women and children. 

The quality of housing is also a factor, and as such, the report further identifies people living in poverty as most at-risk, or rather, people who live in poor housing that lacks access to cooling or proper ventilation. Furthermore, urban areas are much warmer compared to rural areas. Cities are bearing the brunt due to their built environment, congestion, concentrated energy use and heat absorption from concrete and other building materials. This is known as the urban heat island effect.

The working population is also disproportionately exposed to excessive heat. A new ILO report notes that at least 70 percent of the global working population, or 2.41 billion workers, are at risk of exposure to high temperatures, which have resulted in 22.85 million injuries, and at least 18,970 deaths annually. Workers in Africa, the Arab states, and Asia and the Asia-Pacific are among the most affected by 93 percent, 84 percent, and 75 percent, respectively. Rising temperatures have also affected productivity, which drops by 50 percent. The report recommends that measures be put into place to protect the health of all workers through a rights-based approach, along with reporting and surveillance mechanisms for incidents brought on by heat stress.

Heat stress was identified as the leading cause of weather-related deaths. While high exposures to heat can cause heat strokes, a fatal medical emergency, continued exposure can increase the likelihood and risk of other medical conditions, such as kidney issues, cardiovascular health, diabetes, mental health, and the transmission of infectious diseases. Health issues brought on by exposure to extreme heat can put more stress on healthcare services, yet the most exposed regions do not have adequate resources to address them in their health facilities.

Extreme heat is felt across multiple additional sectors. The use of air conditioners and other cooling systems accounts for 20 percent of global electricity consumption, in a time where more than half of the electricity is still generated through burning fossil fuels. In the food and agricultural sectors, crop yields fell by 45 percent in 2022 because of extreme temperatures and phenomena such as droughts and wildfires.

“Extreme heat amplifies inequality, inflames food insecurity, and pushes people further into poverty,” said Guterres.

Guterres called on the international community, the public and private sectors, and governments to make concentrated efforts to address the issue. Guterres also repeated his demand for the phasing out of fossil fuels as an energy source, singling out G20 countries for their renewed agreements for oil and gas licenses.

“The problem is that climate change is running faster than all the measures that are now being put in place to fight it. And that is why it is important to understand that we need a huge acceleration of all the dimensions of climate action,”  Guterres said.

The report notes that there are ways to reduce the fallout of extreme heat risks. Investing in reasonable occupational and safety hazards could save up to USD 361 billion. Concentrated actions to reduce energy demand in the cooling sector globally could save up to USD 1 trillion and the power sector up to USD 5 trillion by 2050.

In recent years, climate change has brought about abnormal temperatures and weather phenomena that even developed countries have struggled to deal with without a serious fallout on their populations. With heatwaves not even sparing the West, Guterres hopes that this will perhaps spur them into urgent, immediate action.

“Now the heat is being felt by those who have decision-making capacity.”

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By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 26 2024 – When Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a pact last month to revive a Cold War-era mutual defense pledge between two of the world’s nuclear powers, it also had the implicit support a third nuclear power standing in the shadows: China.

The new nuclear alliance, which has triggered fears in Japan and South Korea, ensures the possible sharing of Russia’s knowledge of satellites and missile technologies with North Korea. 

The new pact, has also resulted in a sharp divide between Russia, China and North Korea on the one hand and the US, Japan and South Korea on the other.

But one lingering question remains: Will these new developments force—at least in the not-too-distant future—South Korea to go nuclear, joining the world’s nine nuclear powers: the U.S., UK, France, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.

The New York Times quoted Cheong Seong-chang, the director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, as saying: “It is time for South Korea to have a fundamental review of its current security policy, which depends almost totally on the US nuclear umbrella to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.”

And quoting North Korea’s official Central News Agency, the Times said Putin and Kim agreed that if one country found itself in a state of war, then the other would provide “military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay.”

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Kim Song of North Korea said nuclear weapons are stockpiled in many countries, including the U.S., yet Pyongyang is the only one facing sanctions: Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Alice Slater, who serves on the boards of World BEYOND War and the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, told IPS the fact that Russia is allying with North Korea and China at this time is a result of the failure of U.S. diplomacy, and the drive by the U.S. military-industrial-congressional-media-academic-think tank complex (MICIMATT) to expand the U.S. empire beyond its 800 U.S. military bases in 87 nations.

The U.S., she said, is now surrounding China with new bases recently established in the Pacific and forming AUKUS, a new military alliance with Australia, the UK and the U.S.

“The U.S. has been breaking its agreement made with China in 1972, as we now are arming Taiwan despite promises made by Nixon and Kissinger to recognize China and remain neutral on the question of the future of Taiwan, to where the anti-communist forces retreated after the Chinese Revolution,” said Slater, who is also a UN NGO Representative for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

According to a report in the Associated Press (AP) wire on July 12, the U.S. and South Korea have signed joint nuclear deterrence guidelines for the first time, “a basic yet important step in their efforts to improve their ability to respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats.”

Meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol commended what they called “the tremendous progress” that their countries’ alliance has made a year after creating a joint Nuclear Consultative Group.

Last year, the U.S. and South Korea launched the consultative body to strengthen communication on nuclear operations and discuss how to integrate U.S. nuclear weapons and South Korean conventional weapons in various contingencies, said the AP report.

Meanwhile, Abolition 2000, the Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, will host a seminar in Geneva on July 30, titled “Denuclearization in North-East Asia through a 3+3 Model Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.”

Tensions, unresolved conflicts and nuclear weapons policies of nuclear armed and allied states active in North-East Asia (China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the USA) increase the risks of armed conflict and nuclear war in the region, says Abolition 2000.

“Unilateral disarmament by any one of these countries is highly unlikely while other countries in the region continue with robust nuclear deterrence policies. What is required is a regional approach to nuclear disarmament which maintains the security of all.”

The 3+3 model for a North-East Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone  envisages an agreement where-by the three territorial countries in the zone (Japan, North Korea and South Korea) would mutually relinquish their reliance on nuclear weapons in return for credible and enforceable security guarantees from China, Russia and the US that they would not be threatened with nuclear weapons.

This agreement would provide part of a more comprehensive peace agreement to formally end the Korean War.

The proposal is being seriously discussed amongst academics, legislators and civil society organizations in Japan, South Korea and the USA. The upcoming event aims to broaden the discussion to include delegations to the NPT Prep Com.

Denuclearization in North-East Asia through a 3+3 Model Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. Credit: Abolition 2000

Asked about the rising nuclear threats from North Korea, State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said July 22: “We have made clear on a number of occasions that we prefer diplomacy to deal with this situation, and the North Koreans have shown that they are not in any way interested in that.”

Responding to a question on the consequences of Russia being driven closer to North Korea and China, Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State said: “I think we’ve seen two things.  We have seen that, although that was something that was in the works for a long time, and maybe some of it’s accelerated as a result of the war in Ukraine, but we’ve also seen something else that’s been quite remarkable.”

During a Fireside Chat at the Aspen Security Forum, moderated by Mary Louise Kelly of National Public Radio (NPR) on July 19, Blinken said: “I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years.  I have not seen a time when there’s been greater convergence between the United States and our European partners and our partners in Asia in terms of the approach to Russia, but also in terms of the approach to China, than we’re seeing right now.”

“We’ve built convergence across the Atlantic, we’ve built it across the Pacific, and we’ve built it between the Atlantic and the Pacific.  So, I would take our team and the countries that we’re working with than anything that Russia’s been able to put together.

“Beyond that, I think there are going to be – and we’ve already seen a lot of strains in these groupings.  It’s not particularly good for your reputation to be working closely with Russia and helping it perpetuate its war in Ukraine.

“So, I think China is very uncomfortable in the position it’s in, but for now we do have a challenge, which is China is providing not weapons, unlike North Korea and Iran, but it’s providing the inputs for Russia’s defense industrial base.”

Seventy percent of the machine tools that Russia is importing come from China, he pointed out.  And ninety percent of the microelectronics come from China.  And that’s going into the defense industrial base and turning into missiles, tanks and other weapons.

“We’ve called out China on that.  We have sanctioned Chinese companies.  But more to the point, so have many others.  And we just saw that in Europe a couple of weeks ago.  And China can’t have it both ways.  It can’t all at once be saying that it’s for peace in Ukraine when it is helping to fuel the ongoing pursuit of the war by Russia.

“I can’t say that it wants better relations with Europe when it is actually helping to fuel the greatest threat to Europe’s security since the end of the Cold War,” Blinken declared.

This article is brought to you by IPS Noram, in collaboration with INPS Japan and Soka Gakkai International, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.

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By Mariela Jara
LIMA, Jul 26 2024 – The invasion of lands inhabited by Amazon indigenous communities is growing in Peru, due to drug trafficking mafias that are expanding coca crops to produce and export cocaine, while deforestation and insecurity for the native populations and their advocates are increasing

“Drug trafficking is not a myth or something new in this area, and we are the ones who defend our right to live in peace in our land,” said Kakataibo indigenous leader Marcelo Odicio, from the municipality of Aguaytía, capital of the province of Padre Abad, in the Amazonian department of Ucayali.“We are the ones who pay the consequences, we are visible to criminals, we are branded as informers, but I will continue to defend our rights. Along with the indigenous guard we will ensure that the autonomy of our territory is respected,” Marcelo Odicio.

Of the 33 million inhabitants of the South American country, around 800,000 belong to 51 Amazonian indigenous peoples. Overall, 96.4% of the indigenous population is Quechua and Aymara, six million of whom live in the Andean areas, while the Amazonian jungle peoples account for the remaining 3.6%.

The Peruvian government is constantly criticised for failing to meet the needs and demands of this population, who suffer multiple disadvantages in health, education, income generation and access to opportunities, as well as the growing impact of drug trafficking, illegal logging and mining.

A clear example of this is the situation of the Kakataibo people in two of their native communities, Puerto Nuevo and Sinchi Roca, in the border between the departments of Huánuco and Ucayali, in the central-eastern Peruvian jungle region.

For years they have been reporting and resisting the presence of invaders who cut down the forests for illegal purposes, while the government pays no heed and takes no action.

The most recent threat has led them to deploy their indigenous guard to defend themselves against new groups of outsiders who, through videos, have proclaimed their decision to occupy the territories over which the Kakataibo people have ancestral rights, which are backed by titles granted by the departmental authorities.

Six Kakataibo leaders who defended their lands and way of life were murdered in recent years. The latest was Mariano Isacama, whose body was found by the indigenous guard on Sunday 14 July after being missing for weeks.

In his interview with IPS, Odicio, president of the Native Federation of Kakataibo Communities (Fenacoka), lamented the authorities’ failure to find Isacama. The leader from the native community of Puerto Azul had been threatened by people linked to drug trafficking, suspects the federation.

Marcelo Odicio, president of the Native Federation of Kakataibo Communities, headquartered in the town of Aguaytía, in the department of Ucayal, in the Peruvian Amazon. Credit: Inforegión

During a press conference in Lima on 17 July, the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (Aidesep), that brings together 109 federations representing 2,439 native communities, deplored the government’s indifference in the situation of the disappeared and murdered leader, which brings to 35 the number of Amazonian indigenous people murdered between 2023 and 2024.

Aidesep declared the territory of the Amazonian indigenous peoples under emergency and called for self-defence and protection mechanisms against what they called “unpunished violence unleashed by drug trafficking, mining and illegal logging under the protection of authorities complicit in neglect, inaction and corruption.”

Lack of vision for the Amazon

The province of Aguaytía, where the municipality of Padre de Abad is located and where the Kakataibo live, among other indigenous peoples, will account for 4.3% of the area under coca leaf cultivation by 2023, around 4,019 hectares, according to the latest report by the government’s National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (Devida).

It is the sixth largest production area of this crop in the country.

The report highlights that Peru reduced illicit coca crops by just over 2% between 2022 and 2023, from 95,008 to 92,784 hectares, thus halting the trend of permanent expansion over the last seven years.

These figures are called into question by Ricardo Soberón, an expert on drug policy, security and Amazonia.

Ricardo Soberón, a renowned Peruvian expert on drug policy, Amazonia and security. Credit: Walter Hupiú / IPS

“The latest World Drug Report indicates that we have gone from 22 to 23 million cocaine users, and that the golden triangle in Burma, the triple border of Argentina-Paraguay-Brazil and the Amazonian trapezoid are privileged areas for production and export,” Soberón told IPS.

The latter holds “Putumayo and Yaguas, areas that according to Devida have reduced the 2,000 hectares under cultivation. I don’t believe it,” he said.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), that commissioned the report, also lists Peru as the world’s second largest cocaine producer.

Soberón added another element that discredits the conclusions of the Devida report: the government’s behaviour.

“There is no air interdiction in the Amazonian trapezoid, the non-lethal interdiction agreement with the United States will be operational in 2025. On the other hand, there are complaints against the anti-drug police in Loreto, the department where Putumayo and Yaguas are located, for their links with Brazilian mafias,” he explained.

He believes there was an attempt to whitewash “a government that is completely isolated”, referring to the administration led since December 2022 by interim president Dina Boluarte, with minimal levels of approval and questioned over a series of democratic setbacks.

Soberón, director of Devida in 2011-2012 and 2021-2022, has constantly warned that the government, at different levels, has not incorporated the indigenous agenda in its policies against illegalities in their ancestral areas.

This, he said, despite the growing pressure on their peoples and lands from “the largest illegal extractive economies in the world: drug trafficking, logging and gold mining,” the main causes of deforestation, loss of biodiversity and territorial dispossession.

Soberón argued that, given the magnitude of cocaine trafficking in the world, major trafficking groups need coca crop reserves, and Peruvian territory is fit for it. He deplored the minimal strategic vision among political, economic, commercial and social players in the Amazon.

Based on previous research, he says that the Cauca-Nariño bridge in southern Colombia, Putumayo in Peru, and parts of Brazil, form the Amazonian trapezoid: a fluid transit area not only for cocaine, but also for arms, supplies and gold.

Hence the great flow of cocaine in the area, for trafficking and distribution to the United States and other markets, which makes the jungle-like indigenous territories of the Peruvian Amazon attractive for coca crops and cocaine laboratories.

Soberón stresses it is possible to reconcile anti-drug policy with the protection of the Amazon, for example by promoting the citizen social pacts that he himself developed as a pilot project during his term in office.

It is a matter, he said, of turning the social players, such as the indigenous peoples, into decision-makers. But this requires a clear political will, which is not seen in the current Devida administration.

Mariano Isacama (left), a Kakataibo indigenous leader who disappeared and was murdered after allegedly receiving threats from people linked to drug traffickers. Next to him, the president of the indigenous organisation Orau, Magno López. Credit: Courtesy of Marcelo Odicio

“We will not stand idly by”

Odicio, the president of Fenacoka, knows that the increased presence of invaders in their territories is aimed at planting pasture and coca leaf, an activity that destroys their forests. They have even installed maceration ponds near the communities.

When invaders arrive, they cut down the trees, burn them, raise cattle, take possession of the land and then demand the right to title, he explained. “After the anti-forestry law, they feel strong and say they have a right to the land, when it is not the case,” he said.

He refers to the reform of the Forestry and Wildlife Act No. 29763, in force since December 2023, which further weakens the security of indigenous peoples over their land rights and opens the door to legal and illegal extractive activities.

The leader, who has a wife and two young children, knows that the role of defender exposes him. “We are the ones who pay the consequences, we are visible to criminals, we are branded as informers, but I will continue to defend our rights. Along with the indigenous guard we will ensure that the autonomy of our territory is respected,” he stressed.

In the native community of Puerto Nuevo there are 200 Kakataibo families, with 500 more in Sinchi Roca. They live from the sustainable use of their forest resources, who are at risk from illegal activities. “We just want to live in peace, but we will defend ourselves because we cannot stand idly by if they do not respect our autonomy”, he said.

By Joyce Chimbi
PORT-AU-PRINCE & NAIROBI, Jul 26 2024 – Haiti is witnessing unprecedented levels of lawlessness and brutality from armed gangs, which target schools and hospitals. The groups have plunged the country into a crisis and apart from the gun violence accusations, disturbing reports of ruthless sexual violence, including gang rape. Millions of children are in harm’s way; many are out of school and it is estimated that between 30 and 50 percent of armed group members are children.

“The country is facing great challenges. You have extreme gang violence, with gangs controlling big parts of the territory and committing sexual and gender-based violence. On the other hand, there are climate change disasters and their severe effects, such as hurricanes and floods, extreme poverty, and there’s been quite a bit of instability over the years,” Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, told IPS. 

With most of the country’s schools being private, only slightly over half of Haitians have access to preschool and much fewer manage to go on to secondary education. Over half of the country’s schools lack water or toilets, and three-quarters have no electricity. Nearly 1.2 million Haitian children need urgent life-saving education support.

René Kaëlle, 18, welcomes the Education Cannot Wait mission delegation at the Lycée National de Petion Ville, where students have access to catch-up classes and accelerated education programmes delivered by UNICEF thanks to ECW investments.
Credit: ECW

Sherif lauds ECW’s strategic partners, such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme, who, together with local organizations under the leadership of Haiti’s Minister of Education and new government, are overcoming multiple challenges and undertaking life-transforming humanitarian work targeting internally displaced children and scores of other affected children, such as the poor and vulnerable.

Against this backdrop, ECW, UNICEF and strategic partners have today announced USD 2.5 million, which is ECW First Emergency Response Grant, during a high-level UN mission to Haiti. ECW has been supporting learning opportunities across the country. The new fast-acting emergency response grant will provide life-saving access to quality education for girls and boys impacted by the rise in violence, insecurity and forced displacement.

During a high-level UN mission to Haiti, ECW announced the new grant, bringing the total ECW funding in Haiti to USD 15.8 million. The 12-month grant will be delivered by UNICEF in collaboration with WFP and other local and international partners. The innovative programme will reach close to 75,000 children and adolescents in the hard-hit Ouest (French) and Artibonite or Latibonit (Haitian Creole) Departments.

“The education crisis unfolding in Haiti is dangerously close to becoming an education tragedy. While enrollment rates were already low before the latest escalation of violence, school closures and mass displacement are robbing thousands more children of their opportunity to learn. Hence, UNICEF is grateful to Education Cannot Wait for the continued support and commitment to ensure every child in Haiti has access to quality and safe learning,” said Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti.

Yasmine Sherif, Education Cannot Wait Executive Director, speaks with a displaced child at the Lycée Jean Marie Vincent. The ECW-supported school currently also serves as a displacement site and benefits from hot meals and non-formal education.
Credit: ECW

The compounding effects of climate change, recurring cyclones, and the most recent earthquake are making matters even worse. In all, nearly half of Haiti’s population—some 5.5 million people—is in need of humanitarian aid, and 5 million people are facing acute food insecurity. Since the end of February, the number of displaced individuals nationwide has increased by 60 percent to nearly 580,000.

ECW’s investment includes innovative cash transfers, back-to-school incentives, school feeding programmes, early childhood education, disability inclusion, transformative gender approaches, mental health and psychosocial support, environmental sensitization activities, and other holistic education offerings designed to ensure girls and boys have access to safe and protective quality learning environments.

Nevertheless, the need is even greater and, to leave no child behind, Sherif says “more resources are needed and with speed and, urgency to close the existing funding deficit against the emergency response plan. We are very grateful to the United States, USAID, Canada and other donors that are contributing, but we call upon all donors to help meet the funding gap, and give millions of Haitian children and young people now in harm’s way, lifelong learning and earning opportunities.”

Sherif paints a picture of a country going through a very difficult phase while at the same time having strong goodwill and competence in the government. Skilled teachers and motivated students, even though internally displaced and suffering.”

As an education tragedy unfolds, OCHA estimates show the USD 30 million requirement for the education response as part of the country’s humanitarian response plan is only 27 percent funded. Bringing into perspective the magnitude of the escalating education crises, and the need for speedy, urgent responses.

Sherif told IPS that education will help address many of the challenges facing Haiti today, both in terms of addressing the urgent needs of the internally displaced and affected children and in reining in gang violence, as it will help the young generation make productive contributions to society.

“I am a firm believer that education also embeds many other SDGs. The work that we are doing in Haiti with all our partners will have far-reaching positive outcomes, as it includes school feeding, gender equality, mental health and psychosocial services, academic learning and skills training to provide livelihoods and end extreme poverty,” Sherif says.

“Without the resources required, even more teachers working under very difficult circumstances will leave and, the country could experience a significant brain drain. Let us not lose the window of opportunity that exists today to deliver the promise of a safe, inclusive, quality education for millions of children in Haiti. This includes bringing back to school children absorbed in armed groups.”

ECW is particularly concerned that schools are being closed or used as displacement centers across the country, removing the protective cover that uninterrupted, safe and inclusive, quality education systems offer to children in difficult circumstances. Already, approximately 900 schools are closed in the Ouest and in Artibonite Departments alone, meaning that 10 percent of all schools are closed.

“World leaders must not turn their backs on the girls and boys of Haiti. These children, teachers and families have seen their human rights and human dignity ripped from their hands by brutal acts of violence, disorder and chaos,” Sherif says. “With the power of education, we can protect these girls and boys from the grave risks of sexual violence, forced recruitment in armed groups and other human rights violations. With the power of education, we can lift up an entire nation from a never-ending cycle of hunger, poverty, economic uncertainty and violence.”

ECW works through the multilateral system to both increase the speed of responses in crises, for immediate relief and long-term interventions. ECW and its global strategic partners are calling on world leaders to urgently mobilize an additional USD600 million toward the Fund’s three-year strategic plan, to expand its investments in Haiti and across crisis-impacted countries worldwide, and to reach 20 million girls and boys with the safety, power and opportunity that only a quality education can provide.

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