Four things OCHA is pushing for at COP28

Two young girls look up at sign that reads "Lets Act Now"

Youth climate activists Jaiane Bruna Santos Batista (left) and Danielle de Amaral Silva from the Brazilian youth network, Engajamundo at the COP28 venue in Dubai. OCHA/Jaspreet Kindra

It’s been a tough year for people exposed to extreme weather events.

Entire families and homes were swept away by floods in Libya, the Sahel and Somalia.

In Southern Africa, the world’s strongest-ever tropical cyclone tore through homes in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique.

It is critical for OCHA, as the global coordinator of humanitarian aid, to amplify the voices and needs of affected people at COP28, which began this week in Dubai.

The conference began on a positive note with the decision to launch the Loss and Damage Fund, boosting vulnerable communities’ hopes that their voices are being heard.

Here’s what OCHA intends to do at COP28:

1.Advocate to close the finance gap and act early

To mark the debut of the Health, Relief, Recovery and Peace Day at COP28, OCHA will advocate with the wider humanitarian community to close the finance gap to build the resilience of people in crisis situations.
To promote this, OCHA will participate in two events:

Strengthening Delivery: Aligning development, humanitarian, and climate finance. This event is co-organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Food and Agriculture Organization and OCHA (11.30 a.m.–12 noon [Dubai time], SE Room 5, Blue Zone).

Accelerating Climate Action and Finance in Countries and Communities Facing Multifaceted Crises - Launch of the Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace Declaration (12 noon–1.30 p.m). [Dubai time], Blue Zone Alwaha Theatre, Blue Zone).

A standing electronic sign reads Let's fix climate finance

Signs calling all parties to the UN climate deal to fix climate finance can be seen all over the COP 28 venue in Dubai. OCHA/Jaspreet Kindra

2. Announce the new Climate Action Account

The Account is a new initiative to accelerate the humanitarian response to extreme weather-related disasters. It offers climate finance to ensure action is taken ahead of floods, droughts and storms to help vulnerable people.

The Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, will announce the Account, which is part of the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Each year, between a quarter and a third of CERF funding goes to extreme weather-related disasters.

The Account is being set up in response to a call by COP27 that had called for "new arrangements" that include sources and funds, outside the UN Framework on Climate Change Convention. It had also called on "United Nations entities and intergovernmental organizations to provide enhanced and additional support for activities addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change."

People seated and standing in an auditorium-like space

Participants at one of the three events held at the Humanitarian Hub on 1 December. This event on loss and damage was organized by the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Reduction. OCHA/Jaspreet Kindra

3. Bring the aid community together for a first-ever joint initiative

To showcase how climate-related disasters affect people in crisis situations, and to demonstrate local-level solutions, OCHA and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee have established the first-ever Humanitarian Hub at COP28.

The Hub will host more than 40 events organized with the support of dozens of entities, including local and international humanitarian partners, academics, Governments and the private sector. ASG Msuya will open the Hub on Saturday 2 December.

Details of the Hub’s events are here.

People walk past flagpoles bearing various countries' flags.

Participants at COP28 walk past flagpoles bearing flags of all countries party to the UN climate deal. OCHA/Jaspreet Kindra

4. Elevate affected people’s voices for climate action

Senegalese singer Oumy Gueye, aka OMG, an advocate for humanitarian causes in the Sahel, will perform at and participate in OCHA events at COP28.

OMG will highlight the humanitarian challenges in the Sahel, including those caused by the climate crisis. She will also perform at the Humanitarian Hub.

Follow OCHA’s social media for details on how to catch her performances.