In a statement, the CPLP Executive Secretariat noted that the heavy rains and cyclonic winds that hit Cape Verde on August 11 “caused irreparable human losses” and emphasized the need for a united response “in this moment of pain and suffering.”
The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) expressed its “deep solidarity” with the people of Cape Verde and called for urgent international action after the intense rains that affected the islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão, causing multiple deaths and missing persons.
The organization “encourages the international community and specialized agencies to strengthen the efforts of the Cape Verdean government and society, with special attention to the most vulnerable populations, supporting poverty reduction and mitigating impacts on housing, nutrition, and human rights, particularly protecting children, women, and youth affected by the disaster.”
The same statement also highlights “the importance of concrete support for investment and productive relaunch as a way to promote resilience and sustainable recovery in the country.”
The CPLP recalls commitments made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the community’s strategy for this area, stressing the urgency of joint action to mitigate the impacts of climate change on populations.
The Executive Secretariat, according to Lusa, also recalled that as early as 2019, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of severe risks stemming from the climate crisis, particularly affecting coastal cities and islands, emphasizing the need for “compensation mechanisms” to alleviate socioeconomic effects and prevent worsening poverty.
Source: Forbes África Lusófona
