UN Climate Official Reena Ghelani backs Philippines' El Nino response
During her week-long mission to the Philippines in April, Reena Ghelani, Assistant Secretary-General, and Climate Crisis Coordinator for the El Niño Response, expressed strong support for the government’s efforts to combat the ongoing El Niño crisis. This visit underscored the collaborative efforts of the United Nations, humanitarian agencies and development partners actively engaged in preparing for and responding to El Niño’s impacts.
On 17 April, Ghelani, accompanied by Vincent Omuga, Deputy Regional Head ofOffice/OiC of OCHA Asia Pacific, met with the Philippine flagship initiative team and discussed current community engagement strategies and explored ways to enhance climate change and disaster resilience in local communities.
The current El Niño episode, one of the most severe on record, has led to dry conditions and high temperatures across Southeast Asia.
In the Philippines, 90 percent of provinces were affected by El Niño and 50 percent declared drought, affecting over 4.3 million people and threatening below-average harvests.
In meetings with the Philippines Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez, and members of the Humanitarian Country Team, Ghelani discussed collaborative efforts across the humanitarian and development spectrum, particularly in the most vulnerable areas.
Gonzalez emphasized the importance of building resilience to address shocks like El Niño and La Niña. "Building resilience to address shocks like El Niño is at the heart of the new UN Cooperation Framework signed with the Government last year. The UN Country Team is recalibrating its technical assistance as part of the Enhancing Resilient Communities flagship initiative," he said, noting the timeliness of Ghelani's visit given the urgent need for climate-related investments.
In 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Oxfam Pilipinas activated their Anticipatory Action programs for drought in Isabela in the north and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to provide immediate support to drought-affected communities.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has collaborated with the government and local communities to build ponds and small reservoirs to ensure water sufficiency and food security in areas impacted by El Niño.
Meanwhile, the private sector, coordinated by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), has aligned its efforts primarily with food and water security initiatives. “The Philippines is going through a serious drought because of El Niño. The UN and partners have mobilized efforts early on to anticipate and mitigate its worst impacts,” Ghelani stated. She noted that the Philippines could both learn from and share its best practices with other countries.
Ghelani also met with officials from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to learn more about the country’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.
The government, supported by various partners, has established a national Task Force led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to address the crisis’ impacts on water, food security, health and energy. "The Philippines demonstrates the importance of acting early before a disaster strikes. With more frequent and severe climate shocks, it is crucial we strengthen our support to community resilience," Ghelani concluded.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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