Fasting in solidarity with the Philippines

COP19 intensifies as civil society joins Philippines in fasting for the climate

Tensions inside the UN climate talks further ramped up today, as civil society – led by youth groups – joined in a voluntary fast in solidarity of Filipino delegate Yeb Sano, and all those effected by Typhoon Haiyan.

tck tck tck,

12 November, 2013

The group of around 30 campaigners joined Yeb Sano, in the conference cafeteria at lunchtime to tell people that they would take part in a voluntary fast “until a meaningful outcome is in sight.”

Graham Reeder from Taking it Global said:

By fasting in solidarity with Yeb, we hope to make that crucial link between real climate devastation on the ground and the political inaction happening here at the UN.

Surrounded by supporters and media, Yeb Sano, spoke again of the destruction in his country and the need for urgent climate action, before joining activists sitting on the floor for silent reflection.

Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines over the weekend and so far 10,000 people are feared to have been killed, while thousands of survivors have been left homeless and desperately in need of aid – little of which is getting through to the country.

Creative Commons: Adopt a Negotiator, 2013

When Sano addressed yesterday COP19 plenary, he told the delegates of his brother, who while a survivor of the storm, has spent the last three days gathering dead bodies from the wreckage left behind after the storm, going without food as access remains difficult.

He told delegates:

To anyone who continues to deny the reality that is climate change, I dare you to get off your ivory tower and away from the comfort of you armchair. I dare you to go to the islands of the Pacific, the islands of the Caribbean and the islands of the Indian ocean and see the impacts of rising sea level…if that is not enough, you may want to pay a visit to the Philippines right now.

The storm has been recognised as the strongest to make landfall in modern history, and is the fourth Category five cyclone in the Western Pacific this year.

The strength of tropical storms, such as Haiyan, is linked to sea temperature, and as the oceans warm with climate change, such storms are expected to increase in strength.

Lidy Nacpil, from Jubilee South Asia Pacific

Typhoon [Haiyan] is the strongest recorded typhoon to make landfall throughout history. It is another, extremely painful reminder of the urgency of fighting climate change and preventing it from reaching even more catastrophic levels. It requires real, sustained, and above all, ambitious action.

In a sad twist of fate, it is just 11 months since Sano had last pled with the delegates of the UNFCCC process, when at the Doha climate talks he urged countries to take note of Typhoon Bopha, which has just hit the country killing over 1,000 people.

Creative Commons: Adopt a Negotiator, 2013

During this conference a small group of youth organisations, including Earth in Brackets, PUSH Europe and Young Friends of the Earth launched a series of solidarity actions focusing on the country.

Today, the groups showed their continued solidarity and commitment to the region by once again standing with them.

Marco Cadena, PUSH Europe said:

Even while extreme weather events like Haiyan are intensifying, developed country governments continue to actively deny the clear need for finance, reparations and support for those most impacted by climate change.