Workers in emergency employment rebuild after Super Typhoon Haiyan using the slope agriculture land technology to prevent soil erosion.

Crisis situations and response

We live in a world of worry. After decades of progress in fighting inequalities and reducing poverty, social justice and decent work face unprecedented challenges. The emergence of a global polycrisis strains the prospects for recovery and universal social justice, challenging the ILO to respond with speed, scale, and impact.

Roughly 2 billion people live in countries experiencing situations of fragility and armed violence, and another 200 million people are affected by the slow or sudden onset of disasters. Conflict and catastrophic events are triggered by a variety of factors and can impact differently on societies, but one way or another they all undermine peoples’ livelihoods and create decent work deficits.

Left unattended, these problems can lead to increased poverty, inequality and social unrest.

Through its distinctive rights-based development approach, the ILO contributes to building the resilience of nations and people caught in fragile, conflict and disaster situations.

In direct collaboration with its member States, tripartite constituents, UN partners, international and national agencies, the ILO supports an employment-centred recovery from crises while promoting decent work and social justice as key drivers of resilience and social cohesion.