UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell's remarks at 2022 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction
NEW YORK/ INDONESIA (May 23, 2022) –"The Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction comes at a critical time for children and young people as they face the immediate and long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Accelerating poverty rates. School closures and massive learning loss. Millions of children at greater risk of child marriage and child labor. A rise in anxiety and depression.
"These are heavy burdens to carry into adulthood, especially for the most vulnerable children and young people, with girls often most affected.
"Building back better means putting children and young people at the heart of the global COVID-19 response and recovery plans.
"They should also be at the center of our efforts to reduce risk and build resilience from disasters, climate impacts, and humanitarian crises.
"And these efforts must be both for children and young people and with them.
"Young people are not just passive victims. They have an active role to play as leaders, collaborating and co-creating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation solutions.
"To meet the targets of the Sendai Framework by 2030, UNICEF is calling on governments and other stakeholders to empower all children and young people, so they are educated, prepared, resilient, and able to meaningfully participate in key decisions and actions.
"We also call for scaling up and accelerating public-private partnerships and investment in disaster-risk reduction measures centred on children and young people.
"Finally, we call for greater investment in disaster-preparedness and resilience-building for other services that children depend on — including health, nutrition, education, WASH, child protection, and social protection.
"UNICEF is committed to supporting efforts for every country to be protected and for every child to be resilient. Please join us as we work together to achieve this critical goal."
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For more information on UNICEF's Disaster risk reduction and recovery work please visit https://www.unicef.org/environment-and-climate-change/disaster
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About UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to pursue a more equitable world for every child. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.
UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we are working toward a world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
For more information, contact
Mackenzie Dougherty,
UNICEF USA, 212.922.2551,
mdougherty@unicefusa.org