Connecting Business initiative

Connecting Business initiative Connecting Business Initiative strengthens business engagement to reduce disaster risks, prepare and respond to emergencies and help communities recover

In a crisis, you have to act fast. But what about afterwards? Do you ever think about what happens when the storm passes...
27/02/2026

In a crisis, you have to act fast. But what about afterwards? Do you ever think about what happens when the storm passes and the floodwaters recede, of who is going to clean up, rebuild, and more importantly, restore hope?

And in the meantime, where do the children go if the schools are destroyed and teachers unable to make it back to the classroom?

In Sri Lanka, HSBC and the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka (A-PAD SL) worked together to distributed thousands of brand new backpacks full of school supplies, a requirement for children to be able to go back to school - one that many families couldn't afford if they were going to prioritize recovering from Cyclone Ditwah.

This story is one of light, of a partnership that saw families and children in need and took action, overcoming literal obstacles on destroyed paths and roads to make it to where their support was most needed.

Seeing the joy on these children's faces is everything.

Thank you to our amazing partners for all the work they do, and the way they do it. Fostering resilience isn't just a buzzword, it's happy children, in school, with reusable water bottles and lunchboxes, and families who can exhale a sigh of relief knowing that they have one less hard choice to make.


Photos: A-PAD Sri Lanka

🤔 Do you ever find yourself at an event thinking "this is an interesting topic, but the session format is a little under...
20/02/2026

🤔 Do you ever find yourself at an event thinking "this is an interesting topic, but the session format is a little underwhelming not to say boring"?

That's why our⚡"Private Sector Welcome & Networking"⚡session at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) in 2.5 weeks is designed for movement and interaction, and to foster connection.

If you'll be in Geneva, join us!

📅 Tuesday 10 March
⏰ 8.00 - 10.30am
🥐Breakfast included!
📍Centre International de Conférences de Genève (CICG)

🌀 On February 10, Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar's second largest city, Toamasina, and caused widespread destruction a...
18/02/2026

🌀 On February 10, Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar's second largest city, Toamasina, and caused widespread destruction across the northeast of the country. This on the heels of Tropical Cyclone Fytia which made landfall on the night of 5-6 February.

More than 16,000 people have been displaced.

Approximately 25,000 houses were destroyed, and another 27,000 flooded.

The local private sector mobilized immediately through the Plateforme Humanitaire du Secteur Privé (PSHP) Madagascar, the CBI Member Network in the country.

PSHP...

📳 coordinated the release of early warning text messages

⚠️ attended national meetings to ensure business capacity and voice were part of the coordinated response

🫱🏾‍🫲🏻 activated their emergency operations center to coordinate private sector response

⛑️ deployed a team to carry out assessments and distribute aid

And so much more (see visuals for more examples).

Details on how to help are in the visuals below.

🚺 Let's talk women, gender, and disasters.As humanitarian needs grow, private sector engagement is becoming a central pa...
13/02/2026

🚺 Let's talk women, gender, and disasters.

As humanitarian needs grow, private sector engagement is becoming a central part of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. For this engagement to be effective, inclusive, and accountable, it must address the specific risks and realities women face.

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, we're thrilled to be partnering with UN Women UN Women Asia and the Pacific to bring you a learning webinar on advancing gender-responsive private sector engagement in humanitarian action.

📅 4 March 2026
⏰ 15:00 – 16:00 Bangkok (GMT+7)

We'll share more soon, including the speaker line-up.

Perspective matters. That's why, even before the humanitarian reset was in the works, we kickstarted an independent eval...
10/02/2026

Perspective matters. That's why, even before the humanitarian reset was in the works, we kickstarted an independent evaluation process for the OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business Initiative (CBI).

Here are some of the strengths that came through:

🤝 CBI's ability to organize private sector engagement across the full disaster risk management cycle, before, during, and after crises. Rather than mobilizing companies only once disasters strike, CBI invests in preparedness, coordination, and trust long before emergencies occur.

⚠️ The critical convening role of CBI is not always visible, but it is essential.

💪 Across contexts, Member Networks reported stronger capacity, better coordination, and increased credibility with governments and humanitarian partners.

📍 CBI contributes to localization by working through national and regional networks, strengthening local leadership and embedding private sector engagement within national systems.

Interested in exploring a collaboration? 📧 Reach out to connectingbusiness@un.org or via DM on Facebook!

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

🌧️ Heavy rains and flooding across Mozambique have affected an estimated 600,000 people as of 19 January 2026, with proj...
09/02/2026

🌧️ Heavy rains and flooding across Mozambique have affected an estimated 600,000 people as of 19 January 2026, with projections rising to 1.1 million, according to the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD).

🥫 What are the current needs?
🚚 How are businesses supporting the response?
🤝 What are practical ways for the private sector to engage constructively & responsively?

Join us for a briefing where, along with colleagues from the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations, to answer these questions and more:

🚨 This Thursday 12 February
⏰ 2-3.30pm Maputo (GMT+2)
💻 Details on the CBI website

We look forward to seeing you there!

(And if you can't make it, feel free to drop any questions below.)

When the private sector partners with humanitarian actors, coordination becomes more effective and impact travels faster...
06/02/2026

When the private sector partners with humanitarian actors, coordination becomes more effective and impact travels faster.

🌍🌊 Yesterday in Manhiça District in Mozambique, CBI's Florian Rhiza Nery carried out a joint field mission with the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team, Vodacom Moçambique Foundation, and the Vodafone Foundation Instant Network Emergency Response Team.

Together, we supported the installation of ✨phone-charging units and Wi-Fi connectivity kits✨at the largest accommodation centre in Manhiça — helping displaced families stay connected and supporting flood response efforts on the ground.

This is what coordinated private sector engagement looks like when aligned with government leadership and humanitarian coordination.

For businesses looking to support the Mozambique flood response:
👉engage early,
👉coordinate with Government and humanitarian partners, and
👉align your capabilities with real needs on the ground.

That’s how support delivers real impact.

For more information, check out our Business Briefing Note for the Mozambique Flood Response ▶️ https://bit.ly/4cjIRgm

Crises such as earthquakes, storms, and volcanic eruptions are beyond our control. However, what we *can* do is learn fr...
04/02/2026

Crises such as earthquakes, storms, and volcanic eruptions are beyond our control. However, what we *can* do is learn from the experience.

An inspiring example of this comes from ✨Guatemala.✨

50 years ago today, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck. It was devastating. BUT that was also a turning point, because since then the country has changed the way it understands and prepares for risk.

Three areas show especially meaningful progress, largely fueled by growing collaboration between the public and private sectors:

🚨 From Reaction to Coordination: Multisectoral Disaster Risk Governance (notably, replacing the old emergency committee and building a civilian-led, prevention-focused system)

⛑️ The Rise of Business-Driven Resilience - because when disaster strikes, companies are not bystanders. They are lifelines for jobs, supply chains, and communities. The more the private sector prepares, the more the whole country—and companies themselves—stand to gain.

🔭 Science and Technology Take the Lead. For instance, today, data, maps, and early warnings reach more people than ever.

Read more about this transformation in our most recent article penned by Elisa Trujillo and featuring our partners CACIF Guatemala and CentraRSE (see below if you want the direct li.nk)



Photo: U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey

Can you imagine waking up and finding your house in ashes?That is what happened to many residents of communities in the ...
28/01/2026

Can you imagine waking up and finding your house in ashes?

That is what happened to many residents of communities in the South of Chile. Since mid-January, wildfires have been tearing through Chile’s Biobío, Ñuble, and La Araucanía regions. The numbers are staggering:

🔥 21 people killed
🏠 878 homes destroyed
🔥 46,000 hectares burned
👥 Over 20,000 people affected

Desafío Levantemos Chile activated their emergency response teams and was on the ground in less than 24 hours. Companies across multiple sectors also provided critical in‑kind support through established public‑private coordination mechanisms:

🏦 Banks postponed mortgage payments for affected families and deployed mobile banking units
🚚 Logistics companies moved water, food, and supplies into areas cut off by fire
🤝 Corporate partners worked directly with municipalities on debris removal and emergency kits
💰 Nationwide donation channels opened to fund immediate relief and early recovery

But here's what matters most: Desafio is not stopping at emergency relief. The network is already working on early recovery—housing reconstruction, community infrastructure, livelihoods restoration.
Because they know recovery is what determines whether communities bounce back or struggle for years.

Our emergency page has the full picture of what's happening and how you can support the ongoing relief work - you can find the link just below in the comments (Disponible en español e inglés)

Photo: Desafio Levantemos Chile

🎉 Here's to a happy, resilient 2026 with more humanity, connection, and empathy all around! 🎉 After the turbulent, rolle...
01/01/2026

🎉 Here's to a happy, resilient 2026 with more humanity, connection, and empathy all around! 🎉

After the turbulent, rollercoaster of a year we just had, a particularly huge thank you to all our partners who keep showing up in ways that inspire day in and day out.

We look forward to celebrating CBI's 10-year anniversary, with a lot of exciting plans in the works...

Watch this space 👀

🌀 Jamaica prepared as best they could for Hurricane Melissa, but did not expect the intensity of devastation that comes ...
11/12/2025

🌀 Jamaica prepared as best they could for Hurricane Melissa, but did not expect the intensity of devastation that comes with a Category-5 storm. Just on the agriculture front, where do you even begin to rebuild, replant, and recover?

That was the very topic of conversation in an exchange between Cenaced (the CBI Member Network in Mexico) and private sector partners in Jamaica. CBI brought both sides together for to talk about their respective experiences, insights, and knowledge about post-hurricane recovery.

Agricultural experts and private sector leaders joined an exchange of lessons and ideas. But this wasn't just a technical exercise -

🫂 the conversation was deeply human, and
💪 stories of resilience emerged, alongside
🌱 strategies for recovery.

Some of the initiatives that came up include:
🌽 seed sharing / seed banks
🚜 pooling resources
🌽 strength in solidarity
🚜 moving production to safer areas
🌽 reviving poultry operations
🚜 community-based risk mapping
🌽 restoring traditional farming practices

But recovery isn't just about crops - it's about nutrition, dignity, and protecting the most vulnerable.

One participant summarized it well: “We’re not just rebuilding farms. We’re planting hope.”

Thank you to Cenaced for being so willing to share their experience and insights. That's what the CBI community is all about.

[Photo of peppers growing in fertile soil in Mexico by Jorge Zapata on Unsplash; photo of a corn farmer in Mexico by Marco Antonio Casique Reyes on Unsplash]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, one of the CBI Team members was "sheltering in place" with friends in New Y...
07/11/2025

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, one of the CBI Team members was "sheltering in place" with friends in New York City. They had all stocked up on food, water, and batteries for flashlights, but when the power went out, only two of the four people in that apartment had thought to COOK the food ahead of time (a surprisingly easy oversight).

This issue of stocking up on food in preparation for emergencies, and making it easy so that people and organizations don't have to eat canned beans for days or think of alternate sources of power is exactly what the Barbados Manufacturers Association and partners set out to solve.

The Ration Pack Project provides locally sourced, seasonal meals in cans, ready to eat and full of local flavors. It gives farmers a new market for their produce, and offers a local option for anyone invested in disaster preparedness.

Full story on the CBI webpage.

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Connecting Business initiative

Connecting Business initiative (CBi) engages the private sector strategically before, during and after emergencies, increasing the scale and effectiveness of the response in a coordinated manner.

While governments maintain the overall responsibility for responding to humanitarian emergencies, local communities and private sector networks also play crucial roles in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response and recovery. The Connecting Business initiative strengthens and supports those private sector networks.

In the last year seven of the 13 CBi Member Networks responded to 15 emergencies in their respective countries, helping communities to recover quicker.

The Connecting Business initiative was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 and it takes forward the Summit outcomes, as well as the 2030 Development Agenda and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.