Boaz: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! Humanity faces a threat that we all need to take action on urgently—the climate crisis. UNDP works everyday in more than 160 countries to address all of these issues. We are helping people adapt to climate change and finding ways to reduce carbon emissions. We are helping people who are suffering the effects of climate change now. But, as important as our own work is, it is equally important to encourage everyone to take action. There is still much hope if we all work together to solve this issue.
Juan: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! The UN World Food Programme estimates that 345 million people—of which 160 million are estimated to be children—are now facing acute food insecurity in 82 countries. That’s up from 135 million in 2020. In 2022, we aim to reach 152 million people. However, our confirmed contributions currently stand at just 36 percent of what is needed. Unfortunately, the WFP’s funding gap has never been so wide. We are working hard with governments and International Financing Institutions to ensure we can help bridge this gap. We want solutions to be scaled to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Sunita: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! At UNICEF, we try to support children all around the world, so that every child can go to school, be healthy and safe, have their voices heard, and have access to all the things they need to thrive. In my team, we specifically look at how some of the newest technologies could help children have better lives. We look at how artificial intelligence, blockchain, or drones could be used to help children learn or get faster access to the medicine they might need. One example of how we do that is by supporting entrepreneurs around the world to develop and test these kinds of solutions through our Venture Fund.
