The United Nations today (15 May) warns that economic losses from disasters have spun out of control and has called on the world's business community to incorporate disaster risk management to their investment strategies in order to avoid further losses. UNTV
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, SRSG for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlström told a press conference today that, "we should expect more unusual events, events where they didn't use to happen". UNTV
On Tuesday (22 September), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will convene the largest-ever summit of world leaders on climate change, in the hope of galvanizing them towards reaching an ambitious agreement at the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December. UNTV / FILE
In the face of climate change, the UN is calling for urgent action if a potentially catastrophic increase in the risks and impacts of natural disasters is to be avoided. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will speak at the launch of the 2009 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction on Sunday (17 May) in Bahrain. ISDR
The UN will launch a two year campaign on Friday (25 Jan) called “Hospitals Safe from Disasters” which focuses on protecting the lives of patients and staff by making hospital structures more resilient, making sure health facilities can keep functioning during and after disasters. ISDR
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland says many believe 2006 has been a much calmer year for natural disasters. “It’s wrong. There have been 267 disasters recorded up to the end of August and 91 million people have had their lives devastated. ” UNTV / ISDR / UNICEF / UNDP
Tilly Smith, the schoolgirl who saved more than a hundred people on a beach in Thailand when the tsunami hit, visited the United Nations in New York today. UN ISDR