June 14th

Upcoming events 

Organization of American States (OAS)-Amazon Web Services (AWS) Webinar: Overview of the AWS Disaster Risk Management Program  

The Executive Secretariat for Integral Development of the OAS in its on-going efforts to build the resilience of member states to disasters has been exploring opportunities for collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), particularly with a view to reducing disaster-related business interruptions and enhancing overall business continuity. In order to better prepare member states to avail themselves of the considerable expertise, know-how and experience of AWS' within the Americas in disaster risk management capabilities and the suite of products that is has developed, the OAS and AWS has jointly convened a webinar for June 18th, 2018 at 10:00 am (EST) in English and at 2:00 pm (EST) in Spanish. The webinar, targeted towards disaster risk management officials in the Caribbean, will be delivered by Maggie Carter and Abby Daniell of AWS Latin America, Canada and Caribbean Public Sector Team. 

The agenda is as follows:

1. Overview of AWS Disaster Risk Management program

• Disaster Relief by Amazon and Amazon Business initiatives

2. Summary of AWS Projects in Latin America and Caribbean

• St. Kitts Pilot Project

3. Presentation of AWS Products - Snowball Edge
4. AWS Volunteers - Net Hope collaboration
5. Procurement Considerations
6. Legal and Compliance Considerations
7. Questions and Answers

 Please click here to register 

What happened this week?

Guatemala: Volcán de Fuego Eruption Situation Report (as of 13 June 2018)  

The Volcán de Fuego  continues to register seismic activity, specifically avalanches and eruptions. The National Institute for Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) is constantly monitoring the volcano and has not yet ruled out the possibility of more pyroclastic flows of similar or greater severity than those recorded since the beginning of the emergency. The National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) estimates that 966 homes have been affected. The families will be relocated once authorities determine a suitable location. First responders continue to find the deceased in their search and rescue efforts. Municipal authorities and the local community are deciding whether not to now designate the affected area as a cemetery ground. The Humanitarian Assistance and Aid Coordination Centre (CCAH) has followed up with the various offers of aid from foreign governments and the international community that have come in after calling for international aid. Countries such as Canada, Honduras, Mexico and the United States have provided aid. International search and rescue personnel have been aiding as well, working in the most affected areas. 
Per the Red Cross (as of 12 June, 2018), there are 1,714,373 people affected, 12,823 people evacuated, 110 people killed, 3,557 people sheltered, and 197 people missing...Read more   

Interesting Facts 

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), World Bank partner to increase disaster resilience through improved procurement

Acting on lessons learned from a devastating 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the World Bank are partnering with governments of countries in the Region to harness public procurement to improve disaster preparedness and response. A recent World Bank study found that disasters impact gross domestic product in developing states, at a rate 20 times higher than in industrialized nations, causing greater disruption and severe consequences for vulnerable members of society.
“At the heart of the issue, is the management of the procurement and contracting process within the public sector,” Cheryl Dixon, Coordinator, Environmental Sustainability Unit, CDB told regional procurement and emergency response officials attending a Procurement in Emergency Situations workshop at the Bank on June 4 and 5.
With natural hazards increasing in frequency and intensity, Dixon stressed the importance of a greater understanding of why procurement under these conditions is unique, adding that too often, public procurement frameworks and systems do not give sufficient attention to procurement in the context of disasters... Read more

Combination of Climate Change and Inequality Increasingly Drives Risk  

  
A combination of climate change and rising levels of inequality is a key driver of risk in the world today, and the convergence of these two factors calls for heightened attention as they pose an existential threat to the survival of the poor, especially those living in climate risk zones. This was the key finding of a discussion involving UN experts at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Bonn this week.
Poor people are more vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change and have fewer resources to adapt. In 2017, many countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, South Asia, and Africa were confronted with disastrous consequences of hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Thousands of people lost their lives, while millions were displaced and were left scrambling for basic necessities, including food and water. Owing to the gravity of the situation, the UN Human Rights Council last year adopted the UN Resolution on Human Rights and Climate Change, calling on member states and non-state actors from the private sector to address the human rights of climate-affected people... Read more