Remarks at Launch of World Disasters Report 2022

The Right Honourable Prime Minister attending online

Hon. Esther Anyakun, Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees

Ambassador Jan Sadek, The EU Head of Delegation in Uganda

Ms. Grace Mulisa, Managing Director Ecobank Uganda

Your Excellencies, the Ambassadors

The Chair of Uganda Red Cross

The Secretary-General of Uganda Red Cross

Development Partners

Representatives from Civil Society and Private Sector

Members of Red Cross Societies

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the United Nations system in Uganda, I am delighted to be with you for the launch of the World Disasters Report, 2022. The UN Country Team appreciates Uganda Red Cross for its exemplary work, in being the first responder to disasters, delivering immediate time-critical relief to affected communities. Over the years through your network of volunteers, you have responded with distinction to a wide range of humanitarian situations, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks.

Our world today is becoming increasingly hazardous, especially driven by a rise in climate and weather-related disasters. Climate induced disasters such as drought, floods and landslides have become more frequent and severe with longer timespan. Alongside this, no disaster in recent decades such as the COVID-19 pandemic has had such sweeping impacts that have touched the lives of virtually every nation in the world.

The World Disaster Report 2022, being launched in this event, underscores the importance of preparedness based on the principles of trust, equity, and local action. Being truly prepared means being ready to prevent; respond and recover; and to learn lessons for the next time. The findings and recommendations made throughout the report is critical not to repeat the mistakes of the past but to be better prepared more effectively for ongoing and future emergencies.

Uganda is no exception to the challenges the world faces today. Last year, Uganda’s development context was marked by emergencies, including the acute (IPC Phase 3) food insecurity and malnutrition in Karamoja, Elgon floods and the Ebola outbreak, requiring swift humanitarian response.

Under the leadership of the Government of Uganda, the humanitarian and development community in Uganda, came together in responding to those situations – Ebola was contained swiftly, Karmoja situation was tackled, and communities affected by floods and landslides were responded to. The Uganda Red Cross Society was always there on the ground, informing us about the emergency situation in early days of disaster and emergency-response needs. Such early information helped in mobilizing a coordinated UN emergency response, under the auspices of Humanitarian Country Team Lite (HCT -Lite) that was established in early 2022 and we utilized this infrastructure – UN agencies, NGOs and Uganda Red Cross.

It is convened by my Office and is supported by a technical Humanitarian Inter-Agency Coordination Group. The aim is to provide strategic direction to members with a wider inter-agency emergency response that Government leads us on to advance efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian work. There are results pointing to enhanced effectiveness and efficiency of our efforts within the UN Family for example 6 UN agencies FAO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO jointly mobilized over 23 million, including allocations from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund in 2022; these funds were utilized to deliver assistance to people affected by different emergencies (other than Ebola). The UN is jointly planned and delivered an integrated emergency response in Karamoja.   

Following the Elgon floods, eleven (11) UN Agencies came together to support the Office of the Prime Minister, in conducting a rapid needs assessment, and in delivering immediate relief to affected communities. In addition, other UN Agencies, including UNDP and IOM, have provided capacity and technical support to the government in enhancing disaster preparedness at the national level; UNICEF has provided support to capacity building on Emergency Preparedness and Response at the decentralized level – in collaboration with the OPM, the District Local Governments and World Vision Uganda – reaching fourteen (14) disaster prone districts.

The National Disaster Risk Management plan prioritizes disaster risk management in all sectors, especially in regions of the country that are vulnerable to recurring disasters. The plan also recommends developing a disaster risk management Bill that would operationalize and provide legal backing to a decade-old disaster preparedness and management policy. With development of a roadmap, the process of formulating this Bill has been started by the government and as a UN we support implementation of various activities outlined (in the roadmap).

I commend the Government of Uganda for initiating this important work towards strengthening the country’s preparedness for potential disasters in future; and I applaud the already functioning ‘multi-hazards early warning system’ for Karamoja food insecurity, operationalized with joint effort of the Government, the UN (FAO/WFP) and the European Union. The monthly early warning in enabling informed and early decision-making. The information is further disseminated to communities and informing on actions they can take to prepare for a drought or other hazard. This is an excellent achievement, involving communities, in the spirit of ‘building back better’.

Dear Colleagues,

We have the chance to build on these gains to tackle the continuing challenges. As indicated in the World Disaster Report, “true preparedness means being ready for multiple hazards, not just one”. Which means our communities become more resilient to climatic and other shocks, our systems have capacity to withstand shocks and transform, we have frameworks that can handle multiple types of hazards. Success in protecting development gains and attaining sustainable development will depend on development and robust implementation of national frameworks to guide institutional and coordination mechanisms for effective disaster preparedness and management at all levels of the government.

As I conclude, disasters are slowing down our development progress and we need to do so much more. I call for greater collaboration and stronger partnership between all stakeholders to ensure more effective disaster preparedness and response in Uganda. On behalf of the United Nations system in Uganda, in very difficult times such as these of financial crisis,  I pledge our continued commitment to support disaster preparedness and response, as best as we can, working closely with the Government, Uganda Red Cross Society and other stakeholders.

I thank you for your kind attention.

***Ends***