Global funding to help displaced in eThekwini - Mayor's Migration Council's Samer Saliba

The World Bank estimates that climate change could push 86 million Africans to migrate within their countries by 2050 - and the April 2022 floods in Kwazulu-Natal that caused 450 deaths and damaged infrastructure and thousands of homes highlighted the vulnerability of displaced people. To address the needs of migrants and those affected by events like the KZN floods, the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF) has promised a new $1.2 million funding commitment to provide financial and technical support to six African cities. eThekwini (Durban) has been selected as one of them. The fund was launched by C40 Cities and the Mayors Migration Council, a global network of mayors who are taking action to confront the climate crisis, backed by the Ikea Foundation. Samer Saliba, the head of practice on the Mayor’s Migration Council, told Biznews that eThekwini is the second South African city to receive funds, Johannesburg being one of the previous recipients. Salima said the Council made “sure that the money is actually going directly into the accounts of city governments. There's no in-between from the national government or from third parties who are receiving this money and then channelling it down”. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices