The 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, more commonly known as COP28, is happening in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 30 November to 12 December.

OCHA is taking part in COP28 under the leadership of USG Martin Griffiths. As we head towards the COP, here are things you should know.

Why does climate change matter to humanitarians?

The climate crisis is fast becoming the biggest driver of humanitarian need, hitting the world’s most vulnerable people first, and worst. There has been an 800 per cent increase in climate-related humanitarian appeals in the last 20 years. Each year, between a quarter and a third of funds from the Central Emergency Response Fund goes to climate-related disasters. The IFRC estimates that without new and large-scale investments, the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance due to extreme weather-related events could increase to over 200 million by 2050, while related response funding requirements could increase to US$20 billion annually by 2030.

Climate change is a threat multiplier, making the climate crisis a humanitarian crisis.

What does OCHA want to see achieved at COP28

1. Close the climate finance gap to build resilience in crisis settings  

OCHA is working with partners to ensure that climate finance leaves no one behind, especially people in fragile and conflict affected communities. The Health, Relief, Recovery and Peace Day at COP 28 is a seminal moment to ensure that climate finance is new and additional to humanitarian finance and builds resilience in communities on the front lines. OCHA is also supporting agreement on a new global Loss and Damage Fund and related funding arrangements. Humanitarian response also needs to be scaled up, and OCHA is aiming to gather donor support to increase the role of the CERF in responding to the climate crisis, including through a new CERF Climate Action Account.

2. Act ahead of disasters to save lives and livelihoods

OCHA aims to make COP 28 a moment where the global approach to climate disasters shifts from reaction to prevention. OCHA is working with humanitarian actors and their funding partners to scale-up and better coordinate anticipatory and early action, fully fund the Secretary General’s Early Warning for All initiative and ensure that Multilateral Development Banks increase pre-arranged financing.

OCHA also wants to see commitments to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment are at the heart of all responses to the climate emergency.

What is OCHA doing at COP28?

OCHA is providing a platform to raise the voices of the affected people

OCHA is coordinating the humanitarian community to increase advocacy around the devastating consequences of climate-related disasters and the imperative to immediately scale-up support to the most vulnerable. This includes establishing the first dedicated ‘Humanitarian Hub’ at CoP 28 – a shared space for events that highlight the impacts and solutions on the front lines.

The Hub will host more than 40 events organized with the support of dozens of entities, including local and international humanitarian partners, academics, private sector and governments.

OCHA is advocating for closing the finance gap  

OCHA and UN partners have also co-developed with the CoP Presidency a ‘Declaration on Relief, Recovery and Peace’ and related ‘package of solutions’ which commit finance providers to ensure that no one is left behind, by accelerating climate action in contexts of fragility, violence and high humanitarian need. OCHA will also share its package of solutions, including its plans to scale-up the role of the CERF in climate action.

OCHA is advocating for scaling up early warning and anticipatory action 

OCHA is asking for commitments to fully fund the Secretary General’s Early Warning for All initiative, with priority attached to those crisis settings where no effective early warning exists. OCHA is seeking commitments from humanitarian actors and their funding partners to scaling up and better coordinating anticipatory and early action, making it the ‘default’ option to all foreseeable climate-related disasters.

OCHA is working to elevate the voices of affected people for climate action 

Senegalese singer Oumy Gueye, aka OMG, an advocate for humanitarian causes in the Sahel, will perform and participate in OCHA events in Dubai. OMG will highlight the humanitarian challenges in the Sahel, including as a result of the climate crisis.

Join us at our OCHA-led events

1. Strengthening Delivery: Aligning development, humanitarian, and climate finance.This event is co-organized by IFAD and OCHA. (at SE Room 5, Blue Zone on 3 Dec, 11.30 –13:00)
2. Official opening of Humanitarian Hub(at Humanitarian Hub, Green Zone on 2 Dec, 10:30- 11:00)
3. Scaling up CERF’s role in climate action (at Humanitarian Hub, Green Zone on 3 Dec, 15:30- 16:30)

Watch via live stream on OCHA social media platforms.

Other events to watch

• The 1st Conference for Hosting Countries of World’s Humanitarian Hubs (at Blue Zone on 3 Dec, 10am)
• Accelerating Climate Action and Finance in Countries and Communities Facing Multifaceted Crises – Launch of the Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace Declaration.(Blue Zone Alwaha Theatre, Blue Zone on 3 Dec, 12:00 -13.30)
• Taking Early Action to Scale: A Charter for the Future(at Blue Zone on 3 Dec, 9:30- 10:30 am)
• Delivering Early Warnings for All (EW 4ALL)(at Green Zone on 3 Dec, 10:30-12:00)
• How can the Grand Bargain agenda strengthen humanitarian climate mitigation work and disaster prevention (at Humanitarian Hub, Green Zone on 4 Dec, 2pm)
• Strengthening Urban Resilience for a Changing Climate(at Humanitarian Hub, Green Zone on 6 Dec, 2pm)

See all events at the Hub here.

The time and venue indicated here are based on the available information and subject to change. Please visit the COP28 website for more up-to-date information on the schedule