United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General and UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva has stressed the need for unprecedented global solidarity, emphasizing that the world can only tackle its interconnected crises through collective international action.
In an exclusive interview aired by China Media Group (CMG) on Friday, da Silva shared an urgent assessment of the escalating global emergencies. He highlighted that a staggering quarter of the global population now resides in conflict zones, the highest proportion recorded since World War II.
Additionally, da Silva noted that climate emergencies and conflict proliferation are converging, giving rise to increasingly complex global crises.
"We are really living in very difficult times. Twenty five percent of the people in the world live under conflict. We have not witnessed this proliferation of conflict since the World War II. So it's very impressive the proliferation of conflicts and violence and also (I'm) very worried with the fact that some of these conflicts have become forgotten. So it's compounded crises, just having one crisis on the top of the other," he said.
The UN official drew attention to the troubling overlap between climate vulnerability and violent conflicts, particularly in countries enduring devastating floods, droughts, hurricanes, and cyclones. He highlighted the urgent need for a cohesive global response that intertwines prevention, humanitarian aid, and development initiatives.
"There is a high concentration, almost correlation between conflict, fragility and climate. In the exact same places where people are facing the impact of the floods or the droughts, the cyclones and hurricanes. It's exactly the same places where people are under conflict and war. And therefore we need to do more, much more to support the people from a perspective that is prevention always, humanitarian aid as needed and development wherever possible. We really need an approach, an ambitious approach on solidarity, bringing peace, bringing stability but also fostering sustainable development," he said.
UN official calls for global solidarity to address conflict, climate emergencies
UN official calls for global solidarity to address conflict, climate emergencies
UN official calls for global solidarity to address conflict, climate emergencies
