What’s WFP Doing at COP28?
ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is at COP28 to call for urgent climate action to protect those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. The climate crisis is driving hunger across the world, with a staggering 57 million people pushed into acute hunger by climate extremes last year alone. The U.N. World Food Programme will showcase solutions to protect those hardest hit by climate change, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected areas.
Who can you speak to from the U.N. World Food Programme at COP28?
- Cindy McCain – U.N. World Food Programme Executive Director
- Gernot Laganda – U.N. World Food Programme Director of Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction
- Martin Frick – Climate and Food Systems Expert and Director of the U.N. World Food Programme Berlin Office
- Menghestab Haile – U.N. World Food Programme Regional Director for Southern Africa
- Volli Carucci – U.N. World Food Programme Director of Food Systems/Resilience
- Country representatives from Iraq, Madagascar, Mozambique, Colombia, Ecuador, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Other experts available on request.
For interviews, please contact Jenny Wilson at jenny.wilson@wfp.org, +39 342 123 5169 or Zeina Habib at zeina.habib@wfp.org, +971 52 4724971.
Resources
Attributable Quotes
“The combination of climate change and conflict is sowing chaos around the world. The most fragile corners of the globe – those who have contributed the least to climate change – have also received the least support to prepare. And when people are forced to leave their homes or struggle to find food because of climate shocks, it fuels conflict with insecurity and despair. They need stronger defense mechanisms to keep the worst from happening as climate events get stronger and more impactful. If the world doesn’t step up to help now, we will witness more hunger and more instability in the future,” says U.N. World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain.
“Last year, the U.N. World Food Programme helped 15 million people in 42 countries protect themselves from worsening climate shocks. However, during the same time, 57 million more people were thrust into acute hunger by extreme weather events. We are ready to scale up climate protection through early warning systems, anticipatory cash, climate insurance and community-based resilience projects – but need stronger engagement by climate and development funders to enable this vital protection.” says U.N. World Food Programme Director of Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Gernot Laganda.
Video footage of the impacts of the climate crisis and the U.N. World Food Programme’s work around climate and hunger: https://multimedia.wfp.org/Share/j16bldor00368520admxabtqy0a2tht6
Join the U.N. World Food Programme on Twitter Spaces, @WFP, on December 6 at 3 PM GST: How can climate action in fragile contexts reduce humanitarian needs?
The U.N. World Food Programme will be present at the following sessions at COP28 in the Blue Zone:
- December 3, 12:00 – 1:30 PM, Al Waha Theatre: Official Launching Event of the COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace
- December 3, 4:00 – 5:00 PM, Al Saih Roundtable: CoP28 Thematic Relief, Recovery & Peace Day Main Event “From Relief to Climate Resilient Development”
- December 4, 1:15 – 2:45 PM, SE Room 2: Addressing Loss & Damage from Climate Change: Perspectives and Solutions from the Humanitarian Sector
- December 5, 1:00 – 2:00 PM, UNFCCC Pavilion: Innovation 4 Adaptation – tackling the climate & hunger emergencies
- December 8, 1:00-3:00 PM, Al Waha, WCAS Theatre: Nourishing the Planet, Sustaining Futures: Reimagining School Meals for Planetary & Child Health Livestream link
# # #
The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the world’s leading humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Follow us on Twitter @WFPUSA and @wfp_media
