First UN Youth Volunteers in the Federated States of Micronesia advance community health
Elina Resepwil and Martha Asher share something in common. They are the first national UN Youth Volunteers with the Country Liaison Office in Northern Micronesia of the World Health Organization (WHO). The office just started hosting UN Volunteers this year. Elina and Martha leverage community engagement to increase vaccination against measles-mumps-rubella in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Elina's assignment was financed from UNV's Special Voluntary Fund.
Elina and Martha were part of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) group that supported the coast-to coast immunization campaign rolled out from November 2022 until March 2023. They contributed to social mobilization and risk communication activities.
Delivering emergency food and resources to those affected by the floods in Pakistan
When the monsoon floods wreaked havoc in Pakistan in 2022, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme promptly availed qualified and skilled UN Volunteers to respond to the emergency with UN partners and the Government of Pakistan. Within two weeks, the first of 37 UN Community Volunteers had assumed their duties with the World Food Programme (WFP) in the aftermath of this environmental disaster.
WFP supported the government as it mobilized to provide immediate food assistance to families in the areas hit worst by the flooding. UN Volunteers were an integral part of the WFP team.
Addressing waste reduction and climate resilience in Micronesia
Kyra Haberlin is a UN Youth Volunteer Climate Change and Youth Associate with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) in the Federated States of Micronesia. Her assignment is fully funded by the Government of Ireland. Based in Pohnpei, Kyra shares how she helps reduce plastic waste and build resilience to climate change through youth engagement.
My assignment covers five countries: the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau. I work with the United Nations and government partners to coordinate climate change adaptation and youth projects.
Building resilience to extreme weather events in Pakistan
The interventions of the World Bank in Pakistan focus on the urgent need to strengthen the resilience of water resources to extreme events. This includes enhancing water security, flood risk protection and watershed management.
Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change. It is prone to natural disasters such as floods, drought and heatwaves, which trigger a multitude of issues. The recent devastating floods of 2022 inundated one-third of the country. They affected 33 million people, mostly in Sindh and Balochistan provinces and caused 1,700 casualties.
From campus to global development: a partnership for growth of UN University Volunteers
Since 2020, Mount Kenya University has partnered with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme on opportunities for students to serve as UN University Volunteers. Annually, a select number of university students are placed with UN partners in Kenya, upon graduation and for up to six months. These assignments enable the volunteers apply their knowledge and skills in, while gaining experience and exposure to UN peace and development work.
In 2022, Mount Kenya University funded three national UN University Volunteer assignments. Brenda Kemunto Onyancha, Jane Wamucii Ngure and Jeremiah Newton Otieno joined the teams of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), respectively.
The youth volunteers share the valuable experience they have gained in global development, and how their perspectives have changed through their assignments.