New York, NY, June 2, 2022 — As the International Rescue Committee joins Stockholm+50, we mark the 1972 gathering in Sweden that brought governments and stakeholders together to establish now-familiar global environment agreements and institutions. More than ever, cooperation—and action—are needed. The time is overdue to address environmental issues that have resulted from human activity.
Communities living in conflict and crises around the world are already experiencing the catastrophic consequences of climate change. In regions such as the Horn of Africa and the Sahel and countries such as Afghanistan and Syria, more frequent and intense natural disasters and extreme weather are destroying livelihoods, uprooting people from their homes, and worsening humanitarian crises—all against the challenges of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, the conflict in Ukraine has interrupted the country’s ability to plant, harvest, and export its major crops, driving higher costs and increasing the global food shortages. The ripple effect of the Ukraine crisis on food supplies is a foreshadow of what is to come as climate change continues to disrupt the world’s agricultural areas.
Harlem Desir, the IRC’s Senior Vice President, Europe, said:
“Climate change has a disruptive effect on global food systems. The millions who already suffer from food insecurity, undernutrition, and hunger are those who will lose more as the climate crisis continues. While bearing the brunt of higher temperatures, desertification, and extreme weather events, these communities often contribute very little to greenhouse gas emissions. It is past due that global leaders step up and commit to—and deliver on—climate financing for adaptation and mitigation, make meaningful reductions in emissions, and dedicate sufficient funding for preparedness and response to famine and food crises, including early warning mechanisms and anticipatory action, with a focus on support to livelihoods before the onset of a crisis. Communities that are equipped with strategies and adjustments to reduce the negative impacts of climate change can cope better with shocks when they inevitably arrive.”