Mercy Corps: Without a Unified Response to Climate Change, We Cannot Address Poverty and Instability

Statement by Mervyn Joullie, Mercy Corps Deputy Regional Director for Africa

“Vulnerable communities in Africa are bearing the brunt of climate change, with 65 percent of the African population considered to be directly affected. As a global organization partnering with communities on the frontlines we observe first-hand the disastrous effects, including flooding, drought, scorching temperatures and devastating storms.

We applaud the French and Kenyan Governments for their leadership at the “One Planet Summit” this week, an initiative of President Macron, as well as France’s challenge to U.N. member states to urgently implement climate policies.

The consequences of climate change undermine development gains, can exacerbate conflict and threaten vulnerable populations. Without a unified global response to this threat, we cannot possibly hope to address the root causes of poverty and instability in our world.”

Notes to Editors:

• Mercy Corps is a global organisation of 5,500 people working and living in more than 40 countries around the world.
• We’ve worked for over a decade to improve pastoralism and livelihood outcomes for communities living in some of the driest areas on earth, and we partner with communities to tackle the effects of climate change and build resilience across Africa, including in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda.
• In Kenya, over the past three years we’ve reached more than 500,000 small farmers with digital financial services to enhance their productivity and livelihoods.
• In Ethiopia, we are helping some 339,000 herders and farmers better predict the availability of water and grass for grazing, as well as working with government agencies to better predict and track extreme weather.
• Mercy Corps works with leading African corporations like Safaricom and technology innovators such as Arifu to help more than 3 million farmers access a wide range of services that help them handle shocks and drive higher productivity and income for farm families.
• By 2035, one-quarter of the world’s consumers will live in Africa. Smart investments can help young Africans generate new ideas about use of renewable energies for economic growth and employment.