UN Assistant Secretary-General Kamal Kishore points while speaking at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Manila, Philippines, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. , Photo Credit: AP
A UN official said on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 that if governments do not invest more in disaster mitigation and prevention, disasters caused by severe storms will threaten more people and economic losses in the Asia Pacific region. Can derail progress.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Kamal Kishore, who heads the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, warned in a speech at the beginning of a regional conference on disaster reduction hosted by the Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Released.
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“Disasters are now affecting record numbers of people and putting their lives and livelihoods at risk,” Mr Kishore told hundreds of delegates at a three-day conference in Manila led by ministers in charge of disaster mitigation and response in Asia Pacific. told.
“If left unchecked, these disaster risks threaten to derail the Asia Pacific region’s development aspirations and set back the progress that took decades to achieve,” he said.
In pictures: Hurricane Helen’s devastation
Structures on the banks of the Crystal River were destroyed after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Steinhatchee, Florida.
People and pets are rescued from flooded areas after a hurricane struck Crystal River, Florida, on Friday (Sept. 27, 2024).
Western North Carolina was essentially cut off due to landslides and flooding, forcing the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads.
A man and his dog were being rescued after their boat became disabled during Hurricane Helene about 25 miles off Sanibel Island, Florida, on Thursday (Sept. 26, 2024).
The storm caused billions of dollars in destruction across the southeastern US.
Multiple flood and flash flood warnings remained in effect for parts of the southern and central Appalachians, while high wind warnings also covered parts of Tennessee and Ohio.
Moody’s Analytics said it expected property losses of $15 billion to $26 billion.
Officials urged stranded people to call rescue workers and not walk into floodwaters, warning that they could be dangerous due to downed power lines, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.
Billions of dollars of personal property was destroyed due to the storm.
An athletic field is flooded after heavy rains and debris filled it in Boone, North Carolina on September 27, 2024.
A motel is seen after Hurricane Helene in Cedar Key, Florida on Friday (September 27, 2024).
A drone view shows a flooded and damaged area after Hurricane Helene in Steinhatchee, Florida. Some areas were so badly flooded that only the roofs of cars were visible above the water.
Homes are razed to the ground after Hurricane Helene in Horseshoe Beach, Florida.
A mother and her son were seen walking towards their severely damaged home after the storm.
Power crews are working on lines after the storm as more than three million people spent the weekend without power.
Volunteers from The Project, a non-profit organization based in Alabama, serve meals after Hurricane Helen made landfall overnight in Madison, Florida, US, on September 27, 2024.
A family returning to their flooded home after the storm.
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Mr Kishore said Asia Pacific countries should regularly dedicate funds in their national budgets to disaster risk reduction and allocate a larger portion of foreign development assistance to disaster prevention, not “only response”. For. He said that such investments have reduced the death rate. “They die, but the death rate is decreasing compared to before,” Mr. Kishore said in an interview on the sidelines of the Manila conference.
The discussion focused on better disaster-warning systems, sharing technology and building more resilient infrastructure, homes and workplaces.
The Philippines, which is co-hosting the Manila conference, is a target for disasters given its position as an archipelago located between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, which is hit by about 20 typhoons and typhoons each year. It is also in the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have long been a constant threat.
“The threats caused by climate change, exacerbated by their increasing frequency, threaten the Philippines and our landscapes even more,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a keynote speech at the conference.
Marcos said that with better access to financing, technology and data, the most vulnerable states can build better resilience.
EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcik attended the UN disaster-mitigation conference in Manila as he said countries from Asia to Europe face “a new reality” of “unprecedented frequency and intensity” related to weather. Close international cooperation is the only way forward. Disasters.” “None of us will be able to face these new challenges alone,” Mr. Lenarcic told The Associated Press in an interview. “These disasters know no boundaries.”
Since 2020, the EU has allocated more than 80 million euros ($87 million) to help the Asia Pacific region with disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts, Lenarcic said, and he called on wealthier countries to contribute more to such operations. Have requested.
“The region has gained a lot of experience in responding to disasters, building resilience, and we would like to learn experiences from the region as well,” he said of the Philippines and other Asian countries. “It’s a two-way street.”
published – October 16, 2024 07:27 am IST