INTERVIEW: Japan’s politicians ‘lack evidence’ about the genocide in Xinjiang

Lawmaker Arfiya Eri discusses political success, ethnic identity and Japan’s response to the genocide of the Uyghurs.

By Mamatjan Juma for RFA Uyghur
2023.11.28

Arfiya Eri, a member of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party elected this year to the lower house of Japan's Parliament, speaks at the International Uyghur Forum in Tokyo in late October 2023.

 Bahram Sintash/RFA

Arfiye Eri moved some audience members to tears when she read the poem “Yanarim Yoq” (“No Road Home”) written by prominent Uyghur scholar and influential educator Abduqadir Jalalidin, who was sentenced to life in prison by China in late 2019. The Japanese politician of Uyghur descent, who was elected to the lower house of the Japanese Parliament from the Liberal Democratic Party, recited the poem at the opening of the International Uyghur Forum: Global Parliamentarian Convention held on Oct. 30-31 at the National Diet of Japan. 

Eri, 35, was among the more than 150 participants, including about 70 lawmakers from various nations as well as activists and representatives of civil society groups that attended the conference in Tokyo to discuss international responses to the human rights violations against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs who live in the far-western region of Xinjiang. Also known as Alfiya Hidetoshi, Eri is the first person of Uyghur heritage to run as a major party candidate in a Japanese election. She’s now looking towards securing a second term to continue representing the cities of Ichikawa and Urayasu in Chiba prefecture’s fifth district.

Mamatjan Juma of RFA Uyghur recently interviewed Eri about her political ambitions, the meaning of ethnic identity and homeland, and Japan’s response to the genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RFA: Many Uyghurs are proud of your achievements, and there’s a strong desire within the Uyghur community to learn more about you.  

Eri: My Uyghur name is Arfiye Ablet. When my family became citizens in Japan, we had to adhere to Japan's naming system, where the entire family must share the same surname. Both my paternal and maternal grandfathers had the name Eli, so we decided on Eli as our family name. In Japan, I go by the name Arfiye Eli, pronounced “E-ri.” That’s why in Japan, people know me as Eri Arfiye. Eri is a common girl’s name in Japan. To the Japanese, Arfiye sounds foreign and is challenging to pronounce. That’s why, during the election, I referred to myself as Eri, telling them to write Eri as my name. Hence, many Japanese people recognize me as Eri, but my actual name is Arfiye.

RFA: Japan’s political arena is predominantly male. How did you develop an interest in such a competitive area, and what gave you the courage to be a part of it?

Eri: Many people in Japan pose the same question. For instance, having worked in the United Nations and being a woman in her 30s who studied in the United States raise curiosity in Japan. It’s not easy for women to work in Japan. There’s a collective acknowledgment of the need for discussions on supporting women in the workforce and in society. They often assume that working in an international organization, especially in New York, might be easier for women compared to working in Japan. 

When I worked at the U.N., I was responsible for examining the policies of South Asia. In our analyses of other countries’ democracies, we assessed factors like the percentage of citizens involved in parliament, diversity in representation, and whether various voices were heard. When I look at my country, Japan, most of the parliament consists of men, primarily over 50 years old. The more I worked at the U.N., the more of this became apparent. 

As a Japanese, the absence of someone like me in the Japanese parliament stood out. Many Japanese people around me share similarities — they grew up abroad, speak foreign languages, have parents from abroad, and beyond being Japanese, possess a distinct identity. There are numerous young people like this who are engaged in international work and have progressive ideologies, yet none are in the parliament. I thought that if I am feeling unrepresented in my democracy, perhaps many other Japanese of my age feel the same. So, I believed that one of us should take a stand. If I wanted to make a change, I would have to initiate it myself, and that’s why I began this journey.

RFA: When you studied and worked abroad, you must have faced many questions about your identity. How did you define yourself when confronted with such questions?

Eri: I was born in Japan and lived there until I was 10 years old. When I turned 11, we moved to Shanghai because of my father’s work and later to Guangzhou. During this time, I attended American schools in Shanghai and Guangzhou since I am a Japanese citizen. However, being in China provided more opportunities to visit the Uyghur homeland. I started going there at the age of 11, establishing friendships in Urumqi and cultivating a life that allowed me to connect with my Uyghur identity. 

I consider myself fortunate among kids who grew up abroad because with my Japanese citizenship I had the chance to spend a considerable time in China. If I were a U.S. citizen, I might not have had the same privilege. However, Japanese citizens have had this advantage before. Growing up in inner parts of China, I was close to Uyghur culture and had numerous opportunities to return to the Uyghur homeland. In college, when someone asked about my identity, I consistently identified myself as Uyghur, or Uyghur-born in Japan, or Uyghur-Japanese. Even now, people ask about my identity in Japan, and I always say I'm Uyghur-Japanese. I explain that I’m Japanese — I was born and raised here, just like you, but my ethnicity is Uyghur.

RFA: What do ethnic identity and homeland mean to you? 

Eri: For me, my ethnicity is Uyghur, but I consider my homeland to be Fukuoka — the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka, where I was born and raised. Additionally, Urayasu and Ichikawa cities in Chiba prefecture's fifth district, which I represent, are my new homeland. My ethnic homeland is the Uyghur region. For me, the places I grew up in, feel at home, and plan to return to are the ones I consider my homeland. I believe homeland is not necessarily a single place. I have multiple homelands, and I consider myself very fortunate.

RFA: What does success mean to you?

Eri: I believe success holds different meanings for each individual. However, one form of success, in my view, is when an individual can live the life they desire freely, following the path they have chosen.

RFA: How did you feel when you saw your name on the TIME100 Next 2023, a list of emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership, issued by Time magazine?

Eri: I was genuinely surprised. I was at McDonald’s in Ichikawa city when I received the news on my phone about being selected. I read it multiple times in front of McDonald’s, wondering if it was true or not. When my secretary arrived, I showed it to her, and both of us couldn’t believe it for a couple of days. However, as time passed and I read Time magazine’s comments about me, I understood. In my understanding, being on the list is not just a recognition of me but also of my district. It acknowledges the progress of my two cities, Ichikawa and Urayasu. I see it as recognition of how a progressive election district allowed a politician like me — a 35-year-old woman of non-Japanese ethnicity — to represent them on the political stage.

RFA: As a second-generation Uyghur who has succeeded in the West, you serve as a source of hope and encouragement for Uyghur women and youth. What’s your message for them?

Eri: The one thing I would like to convey is this: We are born and raised abroad, enjoying freedom and experiencing democracy in many countries. The Uyghur ethnicity has always valued freedom, academia and democracy — it’s almost like it’s ingrained in our culture. Therefore, my advice to Uyghur girls and boys is to utilize this freedom. Seize the opportunities of democracy. If your country is democratic, actively participate in it. This doesn’t just mean taking on a political role; even participating in elections, sharing your voice on platforms like Facebook, or pursuing the path you desire in a free world is a form of engagement. Don’t let anything hinder you from reaching your goals and dreams.

RFA: The United States and more than eight European parliaments have declared that Chian's severe rights abuses in Xinjiang constitute genocide or crimes against humanity. Why hasn't the Japanese Parliament recognized the abuses as a genocide?

Eri: I believe the reason for this is that in Japan, we lack concrete evidence of what is truly happening in the Uyghur region and researchers who can serve as mediators to explain the situation. There is also a deficiency in people with the necessary knowledge on this issue. Another factor is that, in Japan, researchers who specialize in China are the ones primarily discussing the Uyghur region. I conducted Uyghur research during my university years, and in my personal opinion, individuals studying Uyghur affairs should not only comprehend China but also Central Asia, the Turkic world and the former Soviet world. 

Unfortunately, in Japan, there is a shortage of individuals who possess this comprehensive understanding compared to an understanding of China. Consequently, we lack researchers who can examine the situation between Central Asia and China, not solely from China’s perspective. As a result, many Japanese politicians believe that we lack evidence regarding what is happening in the Uyghur region and, consequently, are hesitant to label it as genocide. I believe that if organizations like the United Nations put forth efforts in this direction, Japan would likely follow suit. However, since international organizations have not explicitly termed it as genocide, Japan faces challenges in drawing a conclusive stance on the matter.

RFA: Do you believe you have a responsibility to bring this issue to the forefront and explain the situation as a politician?

Eri: My role is to serve as a member of parliament representing my district, which is one of the most advanced and prosperous regions in Japan. The people in my district are highly concerned about international matters. Therefore, as a representative of Ichikawa and Urayasu, I certainly feel the responsibility to address Uyghur issues and international human rights concerns, and I actively engage in this work every day.

RFA: In Xinjiang, Uyghur women of the same age as you are being forced to marry Han Chinese men and undergo sterilization. If they were given the same opportunities, there could be many politicians, scientists and writers who could influence the world. What is your message for them?

Eri: I feel as if these things are happening to my own body. The only difference is that I was fortunate enough to be born here. But apart from that, there is no difference between me and the women in my homeland. If I had been born and raised there and if my parents hadn’t left our homeland, I might have faced the same fate. Therefore, for me, this is a deeply personal matter.

RFA: What are your plans as a Japanese lawmaker?

Eri: Looking ahead, I am already contemplating the second election. In Japan, there is a tradition that getting elected to the parliament the first time is considered luck, while the second time is being truly recognized as a member of one’s district. Therefore, I aim to excel in representing my district in parliament and dedicate all my efforts to securing a second term.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. Interview produced and filmed by Bahram Sintash.

 

Thirty years of data show persistent organic pollutants remain a threat to marine biodiversity

by Bob Yirka , Phys.org

Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01881

A team of zoologists, environmental scientists, marine biologists and life scientists affiliated with several institutions in Ireland and the U.K. has found that despite international bans, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to be both widespread and pervasive in the environment, including the world's oceans.

In a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology, the research team pulled data from several studies involved in tracking large sea creatures, fish and the ocean in general to learn more about the level of POPs in sea creatures that live at the top of the food chain.

Prior research has shown that there are many types of POPs and that some of them can be hazardous to both humans and animals. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), for example, negatively impact reproduction in many creatures. PCBs have been banned by most countries since the Stockholm convention in 2004. Still, the researchers note, they have remained in the environment and continue to harm creatures that consume them.

For this new study, the research team looked at PCB levels in marine species that live at the top of the food chain, such as whales and dolphins. Prior research has shown that these species tend to build up levels of POPs because of biomagnification.

To learn more about PCB levels in whales and dolphins, the researchers studied records for 1,000 large marine mammals that became stranded in the U.K. over a 30-year period. The data, which included 11 marine mammal species, came from several databases built by groups monitoring the sea and its inhabitants.

The research team found that overall, levels of POPs found in the marine animals were lower than observed in prior studies, suggesting that levels in the sea are dropping. But they note also that a serious threat remains. They found, for example, that orcas had on average 30 times the levels of PCBs in their blubber than is considered to be safe. They also found that 47% of tissue samples from marine mammals collected over the past five years had PCB levels considered to be toxic.

More information: Rosie S. Williams et al, Spatiotemporal Trends Spanning Three Decades Show Toxic Levels of Chemical Contaminants in Marine

 Mammals, Environmental Science & Technology (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01881

Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology© 2023 Science X NetworkBaby dolphins found to receive high doses of persistent organic pollutants from their mothers' milk

4 Polish miners killed in underground water pipeline burst

Spokesman also reported 1 injured, 1 unscathed in southern Poland mining disaster

Associated Press
Published November 28, 2023 

Four miners died after a pipeline filled with water burst in a coal mine deep below ground in southern Poland, Polish media reported on Tuesday.

The all-news station TVN24 reported that the fatal accident occurred in the Sobieski mine in Jaworzno, a town in the coal-mining region of Silesia, not far from Poland's borders with Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

TVN24 quoted a spokesman for the mining authority, Piotr Strzoda, as saying the uncontrolled pipeline rupture happened at a depth of 1,970 feet underground. A brigade of six miners were working on flushing the pipeline at the time.

New report reveals servicewomen in British military being badly let down when reporting sexual violence

by University of York

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Servicewomen in the British military are being badly let down when reporting sexual violence, with some victims even punished for breaches of military rules when making a report, new research reveals.

Researchers say there is an urgent need to overhaul the "military's misogynistic gender culture", as well as end the misuse of disciplinary procedures against victims who breach codes of conduct when they report sexual violence.

The research, led by the University of York and published in the The RUSI Journal, found that women who experienced sexual violence often feel betrayed by responses to their reports, both by the chain of command and by their peers.

They often felt isolated and bullied, and, in some cases, punished by their commanders because, at the time of the assault, they had been drinking or fraternizing with subordinates.

The authors of the report say the findings are particularly compelling coming in the immediate aftermath of the Service Inquiry report into the death of Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley-Louise Beck, who was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021 after experiencing "an intense period of unwelcome behavior."

One participant who took part in the University of York study described how the camp they were based at turned into a "hostile environment" after she reported her assault. Colleagues stated that they did not believe her and refused to work with her.

She was told by her commander that she was becoming an "inconvenience" because of the bad atmosphere it was creating. Some of her fellow servicewomen, she told the interviewer, "would come to me and be like 'it happened to me, I believe you,' it was kind of like a small MeToo movement… [but] if you spoke out, you [were] ostracized."

Reputation

Several participants believed that there was an overriding concern with keeping negative stories out of the media to protect the military's reputation.

One participant told the authors of the report that, following her report of rape, her superiors ordered that potential evidence be deleted from mobile phones, because of a concern that photos or videos would end up on social media: "Basically they couldn't have anything that would expose them to anything. Basically covering up," she said.

Others suggested that the concern over keeping stories of sexual violence out of the media was particularly powerful when there were senior officers involved: "anything that they can keep out of the media they will… especially if there's rank involved, you know, if there is a high-ranking officer, abuse of power, they absolutely don't want that making the media."

While sexual violence in the British military remains understudied by academics, the 2021 Armed Forces Continuous Attitudes Survey reported that 11% of female personnel (and less than 1% of male personnel) had experienced sexual harassment in the Service environment in the previous 12 months.

Respondents to the Army's 2021 Sexual Harassment Survey revealed that 19% had experienced unwanted attempts to establish a sexual relationship, 7% had been treated badly for refusing to have sex with someone, 4% had been subjected to a sexual activity to which they were unable to consent, 2.6% had been seriously sexually assaulted, and 1.8% had been raped.

Further harm

Lead author, Dr. Harriet Gray from the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of York, said, "Sexual violence and harassment within the British military is a serious and widespread problem.

"We find that responses to reporting sexual violence in the British military can cause further harm to victim-survivors above and beyond that engendered by the violence itself.

"Some of these harms are caused by a gendered military culture that belittles the importance of and/or normalizes sexual violence. This leaves victim-survivors vulnerable to bullying and ostracization.

"Change will require real, serious, and widespread efforts to transform the military's misogynistic gender culture, even where this might impede the perceived benefits of maintaining a masculine culture."

Betrayed

Clinical advisor to the Center for Military Justice, Dr. Nicola Lester, said that the response of organizations to trauma can either be a source of comfort and support or serve to exacerbate the distress of victim survivors. "Unfortunately, our research has indicated that servicewomen are betrayed by the organization when they report the sexual violence that they have endured, leading to experiences of shame, blame and dehumanization," she said.

Emma Norton, founder and director of the Center for Military Justice, a charity that represents and supports women in the armed forces who have suffered sexual harassment and violence, added, "Sexual violence is an issue that affects the whole of society—but for women in the military, our research shows how they must navigate very particular additional challenges that can have career-ending, life-changing consequences.

"An organization that professes to have 'zero-tolerance' of these behaviors must ask itself what it needs to do to address these wider problematic attitudes towards women that speak out."

More information: Harriet Gray et al, Servicewomen's Experiences of the Aftermath of Sexual Assault in the British Military, The RUSI Journal (2023). DOI: 10.1080/03071847.2023.2276305

Provided by University of York 

BACKPEDALING
Connecticut lawmakers seek compromise on switch to all-electric cars, after ambitious plan scrapped

BY SUSAN HAIGH
November 28, 2023

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A compromise plan to eventually end the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in Connecticut could be worked out as early as next year’s legislative session, state lawmakers said Tuesday.

The move comes a day after Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont withdrew proposed regulations mirroring California’s clean vehicle standards after it became apparent there wasn’t enough support on a key legislative committee. Those standards would have halted sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat from Hartford, said that his members plan to meet on Monday to discuss possible legislation that addresses concerns about the regulations. Republicans and others say they’re worried about the high cost of electric vehicles, the availability of charging stations and the ability of the state’s electric grid to handle the anticipated changeover from gas-combustion engines to electric vehicles.

“We have to do more,” said Ritter. “We have to demonstrate to Connecticut residents that this switch will not only save the environment, save lives, and save our planet — but not leave you in a position where you can no longer afford a vehicle.”

Lamont’s decision to withdraw the proposed regulations, a week after New Jersey became the latest state to announce plans to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, was seen as a setback by some advocates. Members of the public booed when the withdrawal was announced during Tuesday’s meeting of the General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee.

A growing number of states are committing to California’s aggressive plan to move toward zero-emission vehicles, including Vermont, New York, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Virginia, Rhode Island and Maryland, according to Coltura, a Seattle-based nonprofit advocating for an end to gasoline vehicle use.

“Unfortunately, a misinformation campaign fueled by the fossil fuel industry won and Connecticut residents will pay the price,” said Ruth Canovi, director of advocacy with the American Lung Association in Connecticut, in a written statement. She said Connecticut “is now positioned to be the only clean car state from Virginia to Vermont to leave our residents out of these strong public health, climate change, and health equity policies this year.”

State Rep. Vincent Candelora, the Republican leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives, said he was pleased Lamont decided to withdraw the regulations.

“I’m hoping that this next look will take into consideration the affordability and the impact it’s going to have on residents, especially people that live in the cities,” he said. “So we really need a broader conversation, looking at the electric grid and the feasibility of being able to do something like this.”

The new legislative session begins Feb. 7.

Moving forward, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said Connecticut will either “default to the EPA standard or we will move forward with the California program.”

Under the California program, the state must give auto manufacturers advance notice of when it plans to implement the tougher standards. In order to implement California’s standards for the 2027 model year, Connecticut would have to adopt the regulations by the end of 2023. If regulations are adopted in 2024, they’d impact the 2028 model year.

In April, the Biden administration proposed new automobile pollution limits that would require up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032, a nearly tenfold increase over current electric vehicle sales.

Local newspaper started by Ralph Nader saved from closure by national media company

After trying to buck trend, newspaper founded with Ralph Nader’s help succumbs to financial woes

 

Why Is The COP28 Conference Important?

Wednesday, 29 November 2023, 
Press Release: United Nations

Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change at COP21 in 2015, subsequent conferences have revolved around implementing its key goal: halt global average temperature rise to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

If Paris gave us the agreement, Katowice (COP24) and Glasgow (COP26) showed us the plan. Sharm el-Sheikh (COP27) then shifted us to implementation.

Now, COP28 is expected to be a turning point, where countries not only agree ‘WHAT’ stronger climate actions will be taken, but show ‘HOW’ to deliver them.

Measuring the progress towards achieving the Paris goals on mitigation, adaptation and climate finance and adapting existing plans is a key part of the puzzle, and this is why COP28 assumes more significance.

The first global stocktake, which began at COP26 in Glasgow, will conclude in Dubai.

The process is designed to help identify what more still needs to be done and guide countries towards more ambitious and accelerated climate action plans.

So, the decision adopted by the parties at COP28 could emerge as the most consequential outcome following the 2015 Paris conference.

What is at stake?

Quite literally, the health of our planet and humanity’s well-being.

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“Antarctica has been called the sleeping giant, but it is now being awoken by climate chaos,” UN Secretary General António Guterres warned during his visit there ahead of COP28.

Antarctic sea ice is at an all-time low. New figures show that this September, it was 1.5 million square kilometers smaller than the average for the time of year – “an area roughly the size of Portugal, Spain, France and Germany combined”.

“All of this spells catastrophe around the world,” he said. “What happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica. And what happens thousands of miles away has a direct impact right here.”

Over a century of fossil fuels burning and unsustainable energy and land use has already led to a global warming of 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. Every increment of warming is likely to exacerbate the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, flooding, storms and irreversible climate changes.

2023 is on track to be the hottest year, while the past eight years were the eight warmest on record globally, fuelled by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and accumulated heat.

Mr. Guterres has sounded the alarm on several occasions with the warning that if nothing changes, we are heading towards a 3°C temperature rise – towards a dangerous and unstable world.

“Humanity has opened the gates of hell. Horrendous heat is having horrendous effect,” he said.

Almost half of the world’s population lives in regions highly vulnerable to climate change.

The least developed, landlocked and small island countries may have contributed little to this crisis, but they are the ones on the frontlines, having to deal with its deadly consequences.

What do we mean by stronger climate action?

The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly sent stark reminders that the current urgency for climate action is dwarfed by the scale of the crisis, but the “future is not fixed”.

The science is clear: it is still possible to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C and avoid the worst of climate change, “but only with dramatic, immediate climate action”, which includes:

• A 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2010 levels
• Achieving global net zero emissions by 2050
• A “just and equitable transition” from fossil fuels (oil and gas) to renewable energy sources
• Increased investments in adaptation and resilience to the climate disruption

But, there is more – such as fulfilling the financial commitments in support of developing countries, securing $100 billion in climate finance annually and operationalizing the loss and damage fund, which was agreed upon last year at COP27, delivering climate justice.

However, the UNFCCC’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) synthesis report released in November shows that the world is failing to get a grip on the climate crisis.

“Global ambition stagnated over the past year and national climate plans are strikingly misaligned with the science,” the UN chief said.

What is the United Arab Emirates’ role, as host country of COP28?

The UN climate conferences are hosted by a different country each year. This year, the United Arab Emirates is hosting the COP28 summit between 30 November and 12 December.

The host also appoints a president who leads the climate negotiations and provide leadership and overall vision.

Dr. Sultan al-Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology for the UAE, will preside over the negotiations at COP28.

The incoming presidency has stated its main focus on changes in four key areas:

• Fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030
• Transforming climate finance, by delivering on old promises and setting framework for a new deal
• Putting nature, people, lives, and livelihoods at the heart of climate action

Mobilizing for the most inclusive COP ever

How COP28 will contribute to the global fight against climate change?

Almost eight years after the Paris Agreement and half-way through the 2030 Agenda, COP28 is a timely opportunity to embark upon a new path towards effective climate action.

As several UN reports show, the world is not on track to meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals, but the hope is that governments at COP28 will lay out a roadmap to accelerate climate action.

In 2020, individual countries came up with national climate action plans aimed at reducing national emissions and adapting to climate change impacts.

With the next round of these plans scheduled for 2025, the outcome of the global stocktake process could encourage countries to raise ambition and set new targets, exceeding existing policies and commitments.

With so much at stake, the Dubai conference is a decisive moment to turn climate plans into ambitious action and turn the tide against the climate crisis.

COP28: Number Of Children Facing Hunger Due To Weather Extremes More Than Doubles In 2022

Wednesday, 29 November 2023, 10:28 am
Press Release: Save The Children

More than 27 million children were driven into hunger and malnutrition by extreme weather events in countries heavily impacted by the climate crisis in 2022, which was a 135% jump from the previous year, according to a new data analysis by Save the Children ahead of COP28.

Save the Children found that children made up nearly half of the 57 million people pushed into crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse across 12 countries because of extreme weather events in 2022. This was based on data from the Integrated Food Security Classification or IPC scale, a monitoring system for assessing hunger emergencies in 58 countries.

The IPC has estimated that the number of people facing hunger in countries where extreme weather events were the main driver of food crises has nearly doubled in five years - soaring to 57 million in 2022 from about 29 million people in 2018.

The majority of countries where weather extremes were the main driver of hunger last year were concentrated in the Horn of Africa, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about half of the 27 million children.

The 12 countries where weather extremes were the primary driver of hunger in 2022, according to the IPC, were Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Pakistan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Somalia has been repeatedly at the frontlines of the climate crisis, suffering five failed consecutive rainy seasons. Now, the country stands once again at the precipice, with extreme weather events such as mass flooding set to exacerbate hunger this year.

Heavy rains and floods in recent weeks have displaced about 650,000 people - about half are children - cutting families off from accessing food and medical care. The current flooding could be just as devastating for the country as the years of drought that left millions of children hungry and malnourished.

Sadia-, 38, and her eight children, have weathered the storm of climate-induced displacement in Somalia twice over - initially due to drought and now again due to severe flooding.

"We left due to droughts, and now we face displacement again because of floods. [Before the drought] life was good. We were farmers and took care of animals. We had enough food from our crops and milk from our animals to live comfortably. But the droughts came and destroyed everything we had," said Sadia who eventually started a small business in the displacement camp selling fruits and other items to support her children.

"But recently, heavy rains and floods have made everything worse. The markets are flooded, and my stall is underwater. I can't earn any money, and it's tough to feed my children."

Pakistan was one of the countries where extreme weather events were the primary driver of hunger last year after devastating flooding submerged one third of the country, affecting 33 million people, half of whom were children. One year on, more than 2 million flood-affected children are acutely malnourished, with almost 600,000 children suffering from the deadliest form of malnutrition.

Dr Muhammad Hanif, who works at a healthcare unit run by Save the Children in Sindh Province-a region severely affected by the floods-explained that he had never seen anything like it in his lifetime.

" I am a doctor, so my weapon is medicine. It’s what we rely on to treat and save lives. But during the floods, I felt like a solider in the battlefield without a weapon; nothing to save the life of children or pregnant mothers," he explained. "By the end of last year, I treated about 1,000 children for hunger-related illnesses, and about 30,000 other patients for various diseases that were inflamed by climate change."

Annually, conflicts and economic shocks push even more children into hunger than weather extremes. Conflict was the primary driver of hunger for 117 million people in 19 countries last year. IPC data also revealed an eight-fold increase in the number of people facing hunger because of economic shocks in five years, jumping to about 84 million people in 2022 from 10 million in 2018.

Globally, an estimated 774 million children - or one third of the world’s child population - are living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk, according to Save the Children’s report Born into the Climate Crisis.

Inger Ashing, Save the Children’s Chief Executive Officer, said:

"In a world where wildfires, floods, droughts and hurricanes are becoming the frightening new normal, children today not only face a climate emergency but a landscape of heightened inequalities, where hunger is an unwelcome guest at an already crowded table.

"As climate-related weather events become more frequent and severe, we will see more drastic consequences on children’s lives. In 2022, 135% more children were pushed into hunger due to extreme weather events than the year before.

"In my recent trip to Pakistan, I met a young boy named Jaffar who shared that his home and school were destroyed in the 2022 floods. His family had to sell their livestock and were struggling to cope with the limited resources in their community. While he was able to attend our temporary learning centre there were no plans to rebuild his school. These are all losses and damages that violate children’s rights.

"Prioritising investment in children’s health, nutrition, education, protection and safety nets must be at the forefront of global efforts. To truly protect children now and in the future, robust support for the new Loss and Damage Fund is non-negotiable. At COP28, World Leaders must listen to the demands of children and invite them to be part of proposing solutions. Without tackling the climate crisis, the global hunger crisis will only deteriorate further, pushing millions more to the brink."

Last year, Save the Children found that 83% of children in 15 countries reported witnessing climate change or inequality, or both, affecting the world around them. Yet, children's rights are neglected in climate finance. Currently 2.4% of climate finance from four key global climate funds can be classified as sufficiently considering children, although some funders like the Green Climate Fund are actively working to bridge these gaps.

Save the Children is calling on world leaders at COP28, particularly those from high-income countries and historical emitters, to take action on the climate crisis by recognising children as key agents of change. Climate finance must be increased, providing funding for losses and damages and climate adaptation. Governments must work to urgently limit warming temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

The child rights organisation is also calling on leaders to address the root causes of acute food and nutrition insecurity such as conflict, inequality, and a lack of resilient health, nutrition and social protection systems.

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Women's rights central to reintegration of Afghanistan after Taliban takeover, UN says

The UN Security Council requested the independent assessment 

from Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which was delivered 

earlier this month.

Since the Taliban returned to power, women have been effectively banned from public life. AFP

Adla Massoud

United Nations

Nov 28, 2023

An independent assessment on Afghanistan examining how the UN should address the issues affecting the country says the Taliban-led administration's desire for recognition could provide crucial leverage to create an inclusive government and ensure respect for women's rights.

The UN Security Council requested the independent assessment from Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which was delivered earlier this month.

“Mandating the independent assessment last March, our primary aim was to address the existing gap for a coherent international strategy towards the de facto authorities,” said UAE UN ambassador Lana Nusseibeh.

“This should include a reckoning with their de facto control over the territory of Afghanistan that doesn't simply lead to a legitimisation of their power by default.”

The report outlines a strategy for political engagement with the goal of reintegrating Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021.

After having spent “extensive time” in Afghanistan, Feridun Sinirlioglu, who developed the report, said the situation of women and girls – and the restrictions on girls’ education in particular – “was the single most common issue” raised in consultations.

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He said the Taliban have tried to justify these restrictions as being part of Islam and Afghan tradition, though no similar restrictions exist in any other member state of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.

“The basic rights of women and girls, including the right to education and to work, and representation in public and political life – are not only fundamental obligations of a state, but also critical to build state capacity for long-term development and economic growth and peace and security,” read the assessment.

“Any formal reintegration of Afghanistan into global institutions and systems will require the participation and leadership of Afghan women.”

Since the Taliban returned to power, girls have been barred from attending school and women from universities. The Taliban have also stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from parks and restricted travel in the absence of a male guardian.

In response to the assessment, the Taliban said in a statement seen by The National that their leader's decrees have safeguarded women's basic rights. They also noted that 23.4 per cent of all civil servants are female and unprecedented numbers of women participate in the business, commerce and manufacturing sectors.

“The Islamic Emirate has collected thousands of street beggars – a legacy of the previous regime – a majority of whom were women, and allocated them regular stipends,” the Taliban authorities added.

The UN-mandated assessment recommended the world body pursue an inclusive form of governance and engage with all Afghans.

It argued that pursuing “intra-Afghan dialogue” would enable progress towards the complete normalisation and integration of Afghanistan into the international system.

“Afghanistan is a diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-sectarian, multi-linguistic and multicultural society. The inclusion of all Afghan communities in the nation’s governance structures is central to the social and political stability of Afghanistan,” the report noted.

The Taliban, who interpreted this as a demand for power-sharing, rejected “any attempts to bring back failed figures from the past”.

They also described the appointment of a UN special envoy on Afghanistan as suggested by Mr Sinirlioglu to help advance “intra-Afghan dialogue” as “unacceptable”.

In a meeting behind closed doors at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Malta's ambassador to the UN, Vanessa Frasier, highlighted several concerns with the report "which was tasked to consider the current challenges faced by Afghanistan".

"Amongst these concerns, she told Council members, "we included the lack of inclusive governance in Afghanistan, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the continued security risk posed by terrorist groups in Afghanistan, and the deeply concerning human rights situation, including of women and girls, who continue to face severe restrictions".

Afghanistan’s UN representative Naseer Ahmed Faiq welcomed the report and told The National it reflects key elements and demands of the Afghan people, which “have been emphasised in the past two years in the Security Council”.

In an open letter to the UN, 71 Afghan civil society organisations, networks and coalitions within Afghanistan and in exile, expressed "deep reservations" about the report and found the assessment to be "influenced by the security and geopolitical interests of the member states and regional powers rather than the need and plight of the Afghanistan people".

They believe the report is developed based on a "pre-assumed policy of appeasement and engagement" with the Taliban without considering recommendations of women, civil society and other groups.

In fact, they said, several of the undersigned signatories have attended consultation meetings with the assessment team but they cannot find any of their recommendations in the report.

A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group in Kabul, Afghanistan. AP