HIV fight – The study by UNAIDS, the UN agency working to stamp out HIV and AIDS, outlines how the world can leverage and build resilient health systems that address both pandemics. 

“Our decades-long fight against HIV offers essential lessons. By heeding those lessons and working together, we can ensure that national health responses deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the health and well-being of all”, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. 

Seize the moment 

The report is entitled COVID-19 and HIV: 1 moment, 2 epidemics, 3 opportunities—how to seize the moment to learn, leverage and build a new way forward for everyone’s health and rights. 

It reveals how key lessons learned in combating HIV can support accelerated action against COVID-19 without jeopardizing ongoing response to HIV and other health emergencies, thus providing a “unique opportunity” to reimagine systems for health, according to UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima. 

 “All eyes are on health, health systems and health care, with countries wanting to be better equipped to deal not only with COVID-19 but also to create healthier, more resilient societies,” she said.  

“We can seize this opportunity by learning from HIV and from COVID-19 to make important changes to develop rights-based, equitable, people-centred systems for health.”  

Leveraging innovative delivery 

It highlights examples of how infrastructure for HIV response is being leveraged during the pandemic, including through innovative and community-led service delivery. 

For example, some 280,000 new health-care workers trained by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, are currently serving as first responders to COVID-19 in several low- and middle-income countries. 

Additionally, 17 HIV treatment reference centres in Morocco, are being used in the first line of response for treating disease caused by the virus.  

Increase investments 

The report was released at the start of the two-day Virtual Fast-Track Cities 2020 conference on urban HIV and COVID-19 responses, which concludes on Thursday. 

As countries continue to grapple with the new coronavirus, UNAIDS stressed that they must take steps to limit any interruption to HIV-related services. At the same time, supply chains providing essential commodities and technologies for HIV and other global health priorities must also be able to function. 

“COVID-19 has caused significant loss of life in many communities, but notably in those where inequities make people more vulnerable to ill health. Leveraging of the HIV infrastructure and workforce has helped to mitigate what might have been a far worse situation”, said José M. Zuniga, President/Chief Executive Officer of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, co-organizers of the conference.  

“However, with current HIV spending substantially off-track, the world urgently needs to increase investments in the responses to both HIV and COVID-19 and not siphon off one to respond to the other.”

United in Science 2020, released on Wednesday, highlights the increasing and irreversible impacts of climate change on glaciers, oceans, nature, economies and it’s cost on people across the globe; manifest more and more often through disasters such as record heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods.

Speaking at the launch of the report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that there is “no time to delay” if the world is to slow the trend of the devastating impacts of climate change, and limit temperate rise to 1.5 degree-Celsius. 

“Whether we are tackling a pandemic or the climate crisis, it is clear that we need science, solidarity and decisive solutions,” said Mr. Guterres. 

“We have a choice: business as usual, leading to further calamity; or we can use the recovery from COVID-19 to provide a real opportunity to put the world on a sustainable path,” he added. 

The Secretary-General outlined six climate-related actions to shape the recovery from COVD-19, to ensure a sustainable future for coming generations. 

The six actions include: delivering new jobs and businesses through a clean, green transition; making public bailouts contingent upon green jobs and sustainable growth; shifting away from grey and towards green economy, making societies and people more resilient; channelling public fund investments into sustainable sectors and projects that help the environment and the climate; factoring in climate risks and opportunities into the financial system as well as in public policymaking and infrastructure; and lastly – working together as an international community. 

“As we work to tackle both the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis, I urge leaders to heed the facts in this report, unite behind the science and take urgent climate action,” added Mr. Guterres, urging governments to prepare new and ambitious national climate plans, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), in advance of COP26. 

“That is how we will build a safer, more sustainable future.” 

Climate change continues unabated 

In one of its key findings, the report states that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations showed “no signs of peaking” and continued to increase to new records. 

Benchmark stations in the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch network reported CO2 concentrations above 410 parts per million (ppm) during the first half of 2020, with Mauna Loa (Hawaii) and Cape Grim (Tasmania) at 414.38 ppm and 410.04 ppm, respectively, in July 2020, up from 411.74 ppm and 407.83 ppm the same month last year. 

“Greenhouse gas concentrations – which are already at their highest levels in 3 million years – have continued to rise,” said Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in the foreword to the report. 

Meanwhile, large swathes of Siberia have seen a prolonged and remarkable heatwave during the first half of 2020, which would have been very unlikely without anthropogenic climate change. And now 2016-2020 is set to be the warmest five-year period on record, he continued. 

“Whilst many aspects of our lives have been disrupted in 2020, climate change has continued unabated,” added Mr. Taalas. 

Findings 

According to the report, CO2 emissions in 2020 will fall by an estimated 4 to 7 per cent in 2020 due to COVID-19 confinement policies. The exact decline will depend on the continued trajectory of the pandemic and government responses to address it.  

In April 2020, at the height of COVID-related lockdowns, daily global fossil CO2 emissions dropped by an unprecedented 17 per cent compared to the year prior. However, by early June, the emissions had mostly returned to within 5 per cent below 2019 levels. 

It notes that though the emissions gap – the difference between what we need to do and what we are actually doing to tackle climate change – is wide, it can still be bridged with urgent and concerted action by all countries and across all sectors. 

On the state of the global climate, the report indicates that the average global temperature for 2016-2020 is expected to be the warmest on record, about 1.1 degree Celsius above 1850-1900 (a reference period for temperature change since pre-industrial times) and 0.24 degree Celsius warmer than the global average temperature for 2011-2015. 

Impact of COVID-19 on Earth system observations 

 The report also documents how the COVID-19 pandemic has impeded the ability to monitor changes in climate through the global observing system, which in turn has affected the quality of forecasts and other weather, climate and ocean-related services. 

 Aircraft-based observations have seen major reductions, manual measurements at weather stations and of rivers have been badly affected and nearly all oceanographic research vessels are in ports, owing to direct or secondary impact of the pandemic. 

The impacts on climate change monitoring are long-term, according to the report. They are likely to prevent or restrict measurement campaigns for the mass balance of glaciers or the thickness of permafrost, usually conducted at the end of the thawing period.  

The report 

The United in Science 2020 report, the second in a series, is coordinated by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with input from the Global Carbon Project, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UK Met Office.  

The report brings together the latest climate science related updates from a group of key global partner organizations. It presents the very latest scientific data and findings related to climate change to inform global policy and action. 

Greece: Devasting fire compounds overcrowding and COVID-19 challenges in refugee camp

Within a short span of time, three separate fires broke out at the Moria Reception and Identification Center (RIC) on the Greek island of Lesbos, according to local fire chief Konstantinos Theofilopoulos, who spoke to State television. 

While initial reports suggested there were no fatalities, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that over 12,600 migrants and refugees have been displaced and 80 per cent of the facility – designed to house only around 3,000 – was destroyed.

“This devastating tragedy compounds the already existing challenges and difficult conditions at Moria due to overcrowding and COVID-19”, said IOM chief António Vitorino.

“We are doing everything we can to support the Greek authorities and the affected migrants and refugees, to ensure their immediate care and safety as we work together on longer-term solutions”, he added.

Twin objectives 

IOM, UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and  the European Union’s Asylum Support Office, are working closely with the Greek Government to organize the relocation of unaccompanied children and other vulnerable asylum seekers to EU Member States with the dual purpose of supporting vulnerable groups, and enhancing solidarity among States, said IOM.

“Solidarity with Greece and the people of Lesbos is needed now more than ever”, Mr. Vitorino stressed.

Meanwhile, UNHCR had immediately deployed staff on the ground and offered assistance to the Greece, amidst particular concern for asylum seekers, especially children, pregnant women, elderly people and other vulnerable populations.

Pursuing a temporary solution 

The camp, which lies north-east of the island’s capital of Mytilene, has long been overwhelmed by huge numbers of refugees that have been taken in. 

According to news reports, riot police, who were dispatched from Athens to the island, cordoned off roads leading from the camp to prevent fleeing migrants from entering nearby towns, as authorities struggle to find shelter for the thousands left without accommodation. The Government has also declared a four-day state of emergency.

“We have been informed about reports of tensions between people in neighboring villages and asylum seekers who were trying to reach Mytilene’s town”, UNHCR said in a statement, urging “all to exercise restraint”.

The UN agency has asked that all those who were previously staying at the camp, which was under quarantine as some 35 people had tested positive with COVID-19, to “restrict their movements” and stay nearby, while a temporary shelter solution is being sought.

Children in the fore

UNICEF said that it stands “ready to help address the urgent needs of more than 4,000 children, particularly 407 extremely vulnerable unaccompanied minors”.

The UN agency thanked the local authorities and front-line responders who worked overnight to address the crisis, noting that the pandemic is complicating the situation further and underscoring the need to implement a “swift and safe response”.

With its partners, UNICEF has transformed its Tapuat Child and Family Support Hub, which is near the Moria camp, into an emergency shelter to temporarily accommodate the most vulnerable, including those with critical needs, until alternatives are identified. 

More than 150 unaccompanied children are now sheltering there.

“Last night’s events serve as a strong reminder of the urgent need for a child-sensitive, humane EU Pact on Migration that respects children’s rights to adequate protection and services across Europe”, said UNICEF.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

By Gudrun Sailer & Linda Bordoni

Moria camp was home to some 13,000 people – more than four times its stated capacity. Experts and aid workers have long criticised the cramped and unsanitary living conditions at Moria, which make physical distancing and basic hygiene measures impossible to implement, even at a time in which the first coronavirus cases are being reported.

The cause of the fire is unclear. Thousands of men, women and children are now without accomodation and Greek authorities are struggling to find them shelter.

Pope Francis visited the camp, that is almost burnt to the ground, during a 1-day visit to Lesbos in April 2016. He took the opportunity to express his closeness and solidarity to the refugees and to call for urgently needed EU asylum seeker policy reform.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union told Vatican Radio that Europe’s identity has gone up in flames together with camp and that a common European policy for refugees is long overdue.

Cardinal Hollerich described the fire as “a shame for Europe” because it’s not only the camp that is on fire but the very identity of the old continent.

He pointed out that the people who find themselves stationed in Lesbos came to Europe in search of help, and that we Europeans have abandoned them “in their distress on the small Greek island” with “many words but no deeds.”

“I think Europe should be ashamed because this [fire] is the result of the despair in the heart of people,” he said.

The Cardinal recalled a personal visit to Moria camp together with the Pope’s Almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski. He said on that occasion they had the chance to speak to the people: “we heard this deep despair in their hearts.”

“Darkness,” he continued, “has come into the hearts of these people, and I think the fire is a consequence of that attitude. An attitude that is fuelled by our inaction.”

In order to prevent and avert human and humanitarian disasters such as this, Cardinal Hollerich expressed his belief that what is needed is a common policy on the part of the European Union for refugees and asylum seekers.

Reclaiming our Christian roots

He said he is aware that the German Presidency is working in this respect but that all Europeans need to take responsibility.

“We cannot claim the Christian roots of Europe if we let people down in their despair, he said. 

The Cardinal singled out Italy, that has accepted many refugees from Moria in the past few years thanks to the humanitarian corridors set up by the Community of Sant’Egidio in collaboration with Italian authorities.

“If Italy, a country with a lot of problems due to the Covid pandemic, can accept so many people, why can’t the rich countries of Europe not do more to help the refugees?” he asked.

Cardinal Hollerich concluded saying his is an appeal “to the northern countries, the rich countries, to accept more refugees.” 

And, he continued, Churches across Europe are also called to react more decisively.

Acknowledging the fact that Church incomes have dropped dramatically due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and asking for support for the Community of Sant Egidio that has done such good work in Lesbos,” he pointed out that “sharing does not mean only to give in times when we are very rich, but sharing means to share even if you have become poor.”

The Greek island of Lesbos has been clamped under a state of emergency, as some 12,000 migrants are at large after a fire burned down their holding camp last night. And at least 35 of them are known to have tested positive for Covid-19.