Aid to small islands falls as temperatures rise

Geneva, May 29 (Prensa Latina) Development aid to small islands falls as temperatures rose to record levels in the last six months of 2023, averaging 1.7 degrees Celsius, the highest between 1951 and 1980, UNCTAD indicated on Wednesday.

May 29, 2024
16:29

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are exposed to sea level rise and extreme weather events, so they need adequate financial support to survive climate change, a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated.

Global warming continues its upward march, posing an existential threat to many SIDS. Yet international support has faltered, even as cascading crises hit, the text pointed out.

In 2022, despite a record US$ 287 billion in global Official Development Assistance (ODA), aid to SIDS fell by 13% to US$ 5.9 billion, according to UNCTAD´s latest report.

The study added that this decline in aid is a significant blow for those economies, as they rely heavily on imports of essential goods such as food, fuel, and external financial flows.

pll/iff/mem/tdd