UNHCR, World Food Programme welcome new funding from Japan to support Rohingya refugees
The government of Japan has extended an emergency aid grant of $2 million to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to complement the humanitarian response led by the Government of Bangladesh on Bhasan Char and support the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees living on the island. "We are grateful to Japan for this commitment. This first ever funding by a donor to the UN operations on Bhasan Char is vital to support the Rohingya refugees living on the island and signals solidarity with the Government and people of Bangladesh hosting them," said Johannes Van Der Klaauw, UNHCR representative in Bangladesh, reports a press release. "The generous contribution from the Japanese government will enable UNHCR and WFP to provide services and activities that will cover key areas of protection, skills training, food, nutrition, livelihoods and health, helping refugees to lead decent lives on the island and better prepare for their sustainable return to Myanmar in the future," he added. This grant is in support of the UN response on Bhasan Char, following the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UN and the Government of Bangladesh (9 October 2021) that establishes a common protection and policy framework for the humanitarian response on the island, reads the statement. "The UN response will complement the assistance currently provided by local NGOs on Bhasan Char," said Richard Ragan, representative of WFP in Bangladesh. "Japan's funding will help immediately address the refugees' most important needs as well as enhance logistics capacity on the island. We hope that other donors join Japan in supporting Bangladesh and the Rohingya refugees living on Bhasan Char and in the camps in Cox's Bazar in a time of compound vulnerability," Ragan added.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.